Antoni Bassas' analysis: 'Montero, Le Pen, and Justice'

Today, two very important pieces of justice news. In France, Marine Le Pen has been disqualified for fraud in the hiring of assistants to the European Parliament.

The sentence is harsh, because although he won't go to prison, he won't be able to run for election in the next five years, and this disqualification could be applied immediately.

Needless to say, both Le Pen and the global far right have been up in arms about what they consider a political condemnation of her removal from power. "I am the favorite of millions of French people," she said. I would have won for sure the 2027 presidential elections? No, I invite you to read the analysis we published today by Josep Ramoneda, who has known and followed French political and cultural life for decades. Ramoneda says that France's problem is that of all of Europe, not only is the far right on the rise, but the traditional right is disoriented (as much or more than the left, by the way). Le Pen, she, personally, was the great asset. The number 2 they'll put in now won't have as much appeal, but the condemnation will provoke a rebound effect or, as Carme Colomina says,will victimize Le Pen, just as the condemnations of Trump victimized him. Many people see in a condemnation of the system proof that the system is against them, and therefore the more they condemn their candidate, the more they vote for him. With or without Le Pen, the destruction of the middle classes makes the rhetoric of traditional parties sound complicit, if not useless.

And another one about justice, in Spain. The Supreme Court of Justice overturns Dani Alves's sentence and acquits him. And Spanish Vice President Montero says this:

"Dani Alves's sentence is shameful. It's shameful that a victim's testimony is still questioned and that the presumption of innocence is said to trump the testimony of young, brave women who decide to denounce the powerful, the elderly, and the famous."

Placing the presumption of innocence above all else is fundamental in a state of law. The state of shock is understandable: an investigating judge sent Alves to pretrial detention and held him for 14 months; the sentencing court found it proven that he raped a woman and sentenced him to four and a half years in prison. And now the TSJC says sexual assault is not provenWhat's the deal? Why did one court see it so clearly, and the next one did too, but in the opposite direction?

It raises eyebrows regarding certain types of crimes whose sentencing is leading to a huge and necessary cultural shift. But as difficult as it may be to report, the presumption of innocence is essential, and Vice President Montero's demagoguery and populism have escaped her lips.

And finally, an internal announcement: tomorrow I'm leaving for Italy, Puglia, with a group of ARA subscribers. This means that the daily analysis here on the newspaper set will resume next Tuesday, when there's sure to be a world of action. Now, with all the potential for a week, it's hard to predict exactly what that world will be. See you soon.

Good morning.