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European societies, given their history, are sensitive to the revival of far-right movements. France, like Germany, has a visceral memory of how fragile democratic institutions are and how once the rule of law goes, the way is open to dictatorial power.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter Ms. Le Pen, the next direct target of a big political battle is going to be the rule of law,\u201d said Alain Duhamel, a prominent political scientist. \u201cThere will be accusations that this is a government of judges, attacks on our highest court, not just from the National Rally but the center right,\u201d he said, naming Ms. Le Pen\u2019s party.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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But, he added, \u201cFrench magistrates are resolutely independent.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jordan Bardella, Ms. Le Pen\u2019s carefully groomed prot\u00e9g\u00e9, pronounced French democracy dead, killed by the court. It is not; and to Mr. Bardella will no doubt fall the task of leading the anti-immigrant party into the election, unless Ms. Le Pen\u2019s appeal overturns her ban in time.<\/p>\n
At 29, he is young to aspire to the highest office, but he has demonstrated broad appeal and a near-unflappable command of detail. Just how he disentangles his ambitions from Ms. Le Pen\u2019s remains to be seen. Up to now, they have avoided conflict.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Across Europe, the far right leaped on the court\u2019s decision.<\/p>\n
Matteo Salvini, Italy\u2019s hard-right deputy prime minister, said those \u201cwho are afraid of voters\u2019 judgment\u201d often seek reassurance from courts\u2019 judgment. Viktor Orban, the Hungarian prime minister, said that he stood with Ms. Le Pen.<\/p>\n
In Moscow, Dmitri Peskov, the Kremlin\u2019s spokesman, said, \u201cMore and more European capitals have opted for the violation of democratic norms.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Of course, critiques of democracy from President Vladimir V. Putin\u2019s Russia are hardly persuasive. But in this case they overlap significantly with those of the U.S. vice president, JD Vance, who in February attacked European states for trying to stifle the far right in the name of saving democracy. <\/p>\n
Ms. Le Pen, like it or not, may now become another element in the Vance-Musk case for European democratic failure. The fact is, however, she was convicted, after prolonged investigation and on detailed evidence, of embezzling millions of dollars of European Union funds to pay party staff members with money intended for aides to European lawmakers.<\/p>\n
Over the past decade, Ms. Le Pen led a campaign of \u201cde-demonization,\u201d shifting her National Rally party from its fascist antisemitic roots to an anti-immigrant mainstream party that has more seats in the National Assembly than any other.<\/p>\n
She could now direct the party to make trouble.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n