- cross-posted to:
- europe@feddit.org
- cross-posted to:
- europe@feddit.org
The Trump administration is considering sanctions against three French magistrates, according to the German magazine Der Spiegel, causing concern within the French judiciary. The judges in question sentenced Marine Le Pen on March 31, 2025, to four years in prison, including two mandatory years, and five years of ineligibility for embezzlement of public funds.
On December 30, 2025, the weekly publication reported on its website anonymous accounts from former US administration officials who said that Washington intends to sanction European magistrates and officials suspected of targeting the far right in France or in Germany. Der Spiegel explicitly cited the case of the three French judges.
“If such claims were proven true or were to materialize,” declared Peimane Ghaleh-Marzban, the president of the Paris judicial court, on January 6 during a session welcoming new magistrates, “they would constitute unacceptable and intolerable interference in our country’s internal affairs, which should provoke condemnation from the public authorities.”
In reality, Visa would be forced not to sanction the judges and the US would balk at banning them from the US market. Regardless of how insane and vindictive Trump is, his handlers would force him to back down because punishing a few judges just isn’t worth it.
But France has to play hardball to make that happen.
To be abundantly clear, I’m not arguing that France shouldn’t play hard ball, I’m just pointing out that it’s a complex game of chicken with real consequences just for playing.
I sincerely hope everyone forces Trump to back down whenever the opportunity arises, because every time that happens, he loses credibility as “the strong man” among people who adore him.