Don’t talk to Marine Le Pen about political repercussions! The trial of the RN parliamentary assistants, in which she is implicated, ended this Wednesday. The decision will be made on March 31 at 10 a.m. She faces five years in prison, including two years in prison, a sentence of ineligibility accompanied by provisional execution. But believe her: “There is NOTHING! Zero issues, zero consequences, neither on the date, nor on the decision, nor, and even less, on the decisions that I will have to make as group president. And I put a point of honor on that!”
The trial, however, did not take the expected turn. The severity of the requisitions pushed the far-right leader to make a strategic U-turn, to return to an anti-system discourse by denouncing a political trial. Become one, quickly. The Frontist deputies therefore began to march to the Paris Criminal Court to support their leader. “At the start, Marine [NDLR : Le Pen] had chosen the defense tactic alone, but given the turn of events, we did not want it to appear isolated,” explains an elected official.
Le Pen and “Bardellamania”
The hearing is over. From now on, we strive to minimize the consequences. First, absolutely no member of the party is considering the case of provisional execution which could deprive Marine Le Pen of running again. “The option is not mentioned,” swear the deputies in unison. We are also looking for proof of popularity. Here, this Ifop poll, for example, published on November 22, which indicates that almost one in two French people (48%) want her to be a candidate in the next presidential election. “This result, after two months of trial, is champagne for us!” exclaims a relative. Marine Le Pen weakened? Move along, there’s nothing to see. According to her flock, Marine Le Pen’s troubles ended at the same time as her trial.
Since then, everything has been going well in the best of all possible worlds. Just ask Jordan Bardella! The Frontist dolphin has been busy lately traveling to the four corners of France to sign copies of his work, which, according to Fayard, has just exceeded 75,000 sales. The promotional tour seems to be successful for the new darling of the Front, who discovers endless lines of activists every time she travels. Each scene being meticulously filmed, transformed into a pastille, and sent to its social networks. New reason for contentment: a survey, published by Odoxa on November 26, places the 29-year-old MEP ahead of Marine Le Pen with 59% of National Rally supporters. “We were sure it was going to happen, that doesn’t mean anything,” says someone close to the boss.
Return to the Assembly
“We are very happy with our Bardellamania,” even adds a slightly zealous deputy. And beware of those who are not. Sébastien Chenu, RN deputy from the North, recently paid the price, as told by JDD. Suspected of having denigrated the new Frontist bible [NDLR : le livre de Bardella]the latter was entitled to a public reframing at the last meeting of the group in the Assembly. Since then, the scene has been recounted by the frontists who attended it. “He told him: ‘Once, twice, next time you get out’, then Chenu turned white as a sheet” whispers a spectator. Some are asking the question: could “melonite” be lying in wait for Jordan Bardella? “Be careful, because there is nothing that Marine Le Pen hates more,” warns an MP.
The latter, moreover, has other fish to fry. One, in particular. His name is Michel Barnier. “Being away from the Assembly for three afternoons a week for two months was painful, but here I am completely and 100% back.” To celebrate, the boss of the RN group began by summoning her troops this Thursday to take stock of the strategy. As it stands, the text of the Social Security Financing Bill does not suit her, and the member for Pas-de-Calais continues to assert her demands. Namely: the indexation of pensions for all retirees on January 1, the elimination of reductions in charges on companies without measures to encourage salary increases and the commitment not to de-reimburse medicines. Otherwise, the RN could choose to vote for censure of the government next week, when the PLFSS arrives in the Assembly.
Suspense until Monday
“I believe I know that Michel Barnier imagines that I would be, for I don’t know what reason, tempted not to censor. It’s a bit dangerous on his part,” Marine Le Pen threatened again on Wednesday. Tactical victory for the frontist: the Prime Minister has just granted one of his requests (which was also a request from the left) by renouncing the increase in the electricity tax provided for in the finance bill .
Insufficient, the RN deputies seem to say. “There remains one last chance for Michel Barnier to avoid censorship by acceding to our demands,” assure the latter. Response this Monday, when the text returns to the hemicycle. By then, Marine Le Pen will at least have succeeded in transferring the suspense from the court to the Assembly.
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