In a powerful address, Marine Le Pen passionately articulates the urgency of defending democracy and justice in France. Her heartfelt gratitude for the support of the French people resonates throughout her speech, as she emphasizes the need for unity in the face of political challenges. This article explores the key themes from her speech, highlighting the fight for civil rights and the unwavering commitment to France’s sovereignty.
Table of Contents
- A Wave of Gratitude
- Saluting Allies at Home and Abroad
- A Shared Experience of Injustice
- “Love of France” as Guiding Ideal
- We Never Bow Down
- A Life Spent in Political Combat
- Why I Stood Before the Court
- A Politicised Verdict
- Second-Class Citizens?
- Right of Assembly Under Threat
- An Ideological Judiciary
- Rule of Law Turned Lottery
- Restoring Trust in Justice
- Standing Tall for France
- “We Are Winning”
- France Above All
A Wave of Gratitude
My dear friends, how can I express my gratitude for the tremendous popular surge in favor of democracy and the rule of law that you embody throughout France? Your large and passionate presence today bears witness to this movement. It is impossible for me to hide my emotion at seeing you here, standing united in our cause.
Thank you for being by our side, upholding what this decision has walked over. My people, my country, and my honor are what I hold most dear. A heartfelt thank you for your courage, your tenacity, and your generosity. You are truly amazing.
Special thanks to the foreign figures, heads of government, and political parties who have spoken out, especially our European partners. Your solidarity reinforces our resolve. Infinite thanks to the half a million French citizens who signed our petition, showing their unwavering support. Your endorsements warm our hearts and provide the motivation we need to persevere.
Saluting Allies at Home and Abroad
We must acknowledge the hundreds of European and national MPs, as well as local elected officials in France, who have made their voices heard on this occasion. Your contributions are invaluable. Together, we stand firm against the forces that wish to undermine our democracy.
Let everyone be reassured: I will not give up. Like you, I share a profound horror of injustice and bias. We can only comprehend one another when we stand against the daily degradation faced by our people. Exposed to social and physical insecurity, you remain unyielding.
What unites us, my friends, is a love for France and a vision of what is true and just. This commitment is the soul of our struggle, shaping our convictions and driving our actions forward. We are among those who do not bow down, who do not surrender.
A Shared Experience of Injustice
Behind the rights and freedoms we invoke, we are defending the rights of all French people, especially those discriminated against in their own country. This is why we believe in politics. It can and must confront the forces of the system whose only goal is to maintain power.
Since my earliest years, I have known the hardships of politics. I know its constraints, its injustices, and its brutality. The wounds it leaves behind are deep, but I do not know abandonment. The suffering it brings is real, yet I do not know despair.
We have endured lies, slanders, and unjust trials designed to break us. Many would have given up, but we remain steadfast. In all European countries, leaders of nationalist parties are facing prosecution, like our friend Matteo Salvini. This is a coordinated attack against those who challenge the status quo.
“Love of France” as Guiding Ideal
What is our personal fate worth compared to the cause we defend? What is our comfort worth when the very existence of France is at stake? In politics, especially in opposition, the crowns are made more of thorns than of laurels.
Yet, we hold politics in the highest regard. There is no activity more noble than serving the public good. The debate of ideas, the fair confrontation of viewpoints, unites energies in pursuit of the common good.
Political activism feels natural to us; it is admirable. We see it as a calling that requires sacrifices. Our commitment to political engagement is not just a choice; it is an imperative in today’s France and Europe.
We Never Bow Down
When the country is collapsing and losing sovereignty, when the people are suffering, engagement becomes our duty. Politics is not some perverse game of persecution; it is a battlefield for our rights and freedoms.
Elected officials are not hunting trophies to be hung on a wall of shame. This concerns the political freedom of our nation. Behind the political witch hunt lies a goal of discouraging public service, and we must resist this at all costs.
We are facing a serious crisis in political engagement, but you are proving the naysayers wrong. Our resolve is stronger than ever. Together, we will not be silenced or turned into trophies.
A Life Spent in Political Combat
So, why add humiliation to legal prosecution? Consider the former president facing demands for civil rights loss. The aim is to turn alleged wrongdoing into severe punishment, harsher than most actual crimes.
Charges with dishonorable labels are far removed from reality. This humiliation is contrary to what justice should represent; it horrifies me. We must stand against this distortion of justice.
We are not merely fighting for ourselves; we are fighting for the principles that uphold our democracy. The integrity of our judicial system must be preserved. It is our duty to ensure that justice is not weaponized against political opponents.
Why I Stood Before the Court
I’m not saying this to avoid accountability. It’s neither in my nature nor in my principles. I presented myself before the court with the respect owed to our justice system, armed with legal arguments that, in my view, fully exonerate me, my colleagues, and our party.
This case was initiated at the behest of our socialist opponents in the European Parliament, wielding the heavy apparatus of European institutions. These institutions often focus on the speck in their opponents’ eyes while ignoring the beams in their own. Recent corruption scandals illustrate this blatant hypocrisy.
We find ourselves far removed from any genuine legal motivation or judicial impartiality. What should have been a simple administrative dispute transformed into the harshest and most dishonorable criminal charge imaginable.
A Politicised Verdict
The origin of this trial was political, as was the hearing marred by alarming bias. The investigation was entrusted to a magistrate affiliated with the magistrates’ union, and the prosecution was equally questionable. I recall the cruelty of the prosecution, which confessed to lacking incriminating evidence but still sought harsh penalties.
Even now, I take no pleasure in requesting an acquittal; it would pain me too much. The verdict’s reasoning has been almost universally rejected by serious legal experts. It is crucial to stop blaming us for criticizing what is, in fact, a political decision masquerading as a judicial one.
Now, they want to eliminate me from political life without any avenue for appeal, citing a so-called disturbance to democratic public order. This concept was purely invented for this occasion. The true disturbance is preventing the sovereign people from expressing themselves.
Second-Class Citizens?
This political decision has trampled not only on the rule of law but also on the very idea of democracy. We do not lump all judges together; there are exemplary judges who serve with impartiality. However, we condemn insults and threats against magistrates, as such behavior discredits the cause of justice.
We are not asking to be above the law, but we will not accept being treated as second-class citizens. We have committed ourselves to defending our homeland and its sovereignty. The thirteen million voters who honor us with their trust are not half citizens nor should they be treated as such.
We won over 37% of the vote in the legislative elections and 31% in the European elections. Yet, we find ourselves deprived of key functions in the National Assembly and the European Parliament by those who preach democracy yet act otherwise.
Right of Assembly Under Threat
Imagine, my friends, the outrage from intolerant minds when we gather in our capital. It feels as if the right of assembly is under siege. The same individuals who see no scandal in violently protesting election results accuse us of crude and offensive arguments for holding a rally in support of democracy.
To the French people misled by these narratives, I assure you our course of action will never resort to brutality. We draw inspiration from the peaceful resistance of Martin Luther King, standing firm for civil rights against oppression.
We call upon all freedom-loving French citizens to join us in this peaceful and democratic resistance. We will continue to fight, disciplined and dignified, despite the provocations that will arise. Our resolve remains unshaken; we will not yield.
An Ideological Judiciary
We rise against the distortion of our sacred institutions, not by all judges, but by those who have turned them into tools of ideology. No one can condone the blatant political revenge being enacted by certain magistrates under the guise of judicial independence.
We face a concerted effort to criminalize sovereignist political ideas, with outrageous arguments that reveal the political nature of judicial decisions. What defendant wouldn’t tremble at the thought of retroactive application of laws merely because their ideas displeased a judge?
Justice in a country that respects the rule of law cannot be a lottery. The innocent should expect justice, not fear it. Judges are not legislators; they must remain within their rightful limits to uphold democracy.
Rule of Law Turned Lottery
We must remind ourselves that the judiciary is not a power but an authority, which should ensure that while presumed innocent, defendants are not declared ineligible at the whim of flawed reasoning. The right to an effective appeal is not a privilege; it is fundamental to democracy.
Who can accept the erosion of our justice system, a system we were once proud of? It grants defendants two inalienable rights: the right to defend themselves and the right to a fair investigation, seeking the truth rather than coercing confessions.
This isn’t justice; it’s a witch hunt. We cannot accept the necessary tranquility of justice being jeopardized by questionable relationships between judges and the media. Justice should not be leveraged in a media war against politicians.
Restoring Trust in Justice
We must call for an end to these distortions unworthy of a democracy. This incredible reversal of the accusatory process has painted us as a danger to democracy and the rule of law. Yet, we are the most fervent defenders of both.
The spectacle unfolding in France is unworthy of our great institutions. International observers express concern, highlighting how this decision undermines the model France once represented on the world stage.
What we are defending is freedom for all, the rule of law for all, and equal treatment for all. We stand firm on the foundations of democracy, which have rested upon the principle of separation of powers.
Standing Tall for France
We defend the presumption of innocence, which must be urgently restored. When the rights of defendants disappear, all citizens feel the impact. This fight for justice is not merely ours; it belongs to society as a whole.
We must restore trust in justice, for it plays an essential and noble role. Justice, through its integrity, must unite and reassure the people. We will provide the judiciary with the resources it needs to fulfill its mission.
We also call for self-reflection within the judiciary to avoid isolating itself from the public through a corporatist mindset. This case should serve as a wake-up call for the state of the rule of law in our country.
“We Are Winning”
Those who try to subdue us appear great only to those who are already on their knees. We stand tall for justice, for the people, and for France. Today marks a historic day, a movement rising in favor of the people’s freedom.
This yearning for protection, respect, and to not be treated as mere subjects is irrepressible. I believe it is also irresistible. This yearning is what we have defended against all odds for decades.
Never forget why they attack us with such dishonesty. They do this because we are in the process of winning. You are winning, and they recognize the massive wave of support represented by your votes.
France Above All
We must keep deep within our hearts the most noble cause there is: France. Citizens of all political stripes, backgrounds, and faiths must join us in this mission of national renewal and social rebuilding.
This requires your perseverance, courage, fighting spirit, strength, and hope. It will be a tremendous political and human adventure. For each of you, it will be the highest mission of your life.
When victory comes, it will mark the dawn of a new renaissance for France. Long live justice, long live the Republic, long live France!
