I have followed with great interest, in recent days, the trial of Marine Le Pen and her colleagues concerning alleged crimes of fictitious employment in the European Parliament. Indeed, the leader of the French far-right party is accused of an organized system of fraud that made the European Parliament bear the salaries of her political colleagues. The damage noted is 7 million euros. Pending the sentence, the prosecutors have requested five years in prison, as well as five years of ineligibility with provisional execution. This means that if the judges follow the prosecutors, she would be ineligible for the 2027 presidential election, of which she is the overwhelming favourite. The concerned person reacted, arguing « an attack on democracy », the organization of her « political death », the subjugation of the Prosecutor’s Office to the Executive, etc.

Read the column – Senegal of Bakel, Dakar Arena’s Senegal

She denounces a Justice « under orders », which seeks to prevent her from competing in universal suffrage. « But, beyond me, it is the French people who, in reality, are prevented (…) from voting for the candidate they want », she added. I immediately recognized the refrain of the song of the victim supposedly bullied by the « system ». Marine Le Pen as well as all the populists use and abuse the rhetoric of conspiracy when they are before Justice and risk a conviction.

After leaving power in 2020, Donald Trump was the subject of dozens of accusations. He was convicted of some of them. Naturally, the colourful American President also accused the judges, arguing that the trials were “rigged” and that the judges were “corrupt.” No questioning, no holding, but the use of the defense of rupture, with always at the forefront the pretext of an unfair system that would like to annihilate the voice of the People. Trump had said after a conviction that the real trial will be for November 5, with the judgment of the sovereign People. It must be acknowledged that he won this one, despite the numerous accusations, some of which were very serious, despite the attack on the Capitol on January 6 and despite the mind-boggling remarks made almost daily against the magistrates, the Administration, his adversaries and all those who refused to comply with his wishes.

Read the column – The trivialisation of vulgarity

Populist logic is relentless, and it is worn out. They are guilty of nothing and are victims of everyone. The entire “system” is set up to slow down their political rise and fight them through the misuse of laws. In Senegal, this scenario was tested during three years of legal proceedings, which targeted a man whose irresponsibility has no limits. If Marine Le Pen, for example, is the subject of accusations concerning the use of public funds to the detriment of Europe, for our man it is entirely private affairs.

First targeted by a criminal complaint from a compatriot, he was summoned before a court. In both cases, he was convicted following private accusations. In both cases, he refused to face his accusers. In both cases, he refused to face the Justice of his country. His arguments, like those of Trump and Le Pen today, consisted of invoking the rhetoric of conspiracy, abuse of power and the desire to prevent him from being a candidate. He called for “Mortal Kombat” to avoid appearing before a judge, described as a partisan, before his colleague and successor received the nickname “coward”. The story is facetious: the one who said he had all the evidence of the plots against him, in eight months of office, has not produced any. On the contrary, the bluster, the threats, the accusations, the constant noise have been our daily life with him since April 2, 2024. Those he accused of conspiracy calmly go about their business.

Read the column – And the petitioning “intellectuals” remain silent…

Populists only invoke Justice when it is in breach of contract with other citizens, their adversaries. Old videos of Ms. Le Pen have been resurfaced, in which she accused the entire French political class of “stealing from the coffers,” except for her party. Trump has accused the Democrats of all sorts of crimes, including the most outrageous, without ever providing the slightest proof. Our fellow, for his part, is accustomed to crude and outrageous statements, and has used the rhetoric of the “system” of “All rotten!”, but is so frivolous when it comes to enlightening public opinion on the alleged scandals of Onas and Aser.

For Trump, Le Pen or Sonko, the logic is the same: we are victims of the system when we are called to the bar, but in the exercise of our public responsibilities, we will not be held accountable because, deep down, we are Justice. What changes is that in the United States and France, the press, civil society and intellectuals are generally attentive to the duty of responsibility that falls to them.

In our country, larbinism, cowardice and opportunism have taken up residence in these circles, and in fact has been, for a long time.

By Hamidou ANNE / hamidou.anne@lequotidien.sn 

  • Translation by Ndey T. SOSSEH / Serigne S. DIAGNE