Posted on 05/04/2025 9:33:11 AM PDT by MinorityRepublican
Excluding candidates from standing in elections may be a legally sound option to protect democracy from anti-democratic forces. But it is an insufficient solution on its own.
Romania and France have recently banned candidates from running in forthcoming elections, causing uproar domestically and internationally. While the circumstances and the reasons behind the bans are very different, the barring of candidates raises similar questions in both countries: are bans justified and, even if they are, do they harm democracy?
When are election bans justified?
Banning political parties or politicians on the basis of their politics is seen as a measure of last resort in democracies. Exclusions are a response to what is called the ‘paradox of democracy’ – the risk that anti-democratic actors may use democratic institutions and rights, including freedom of speech and assembly, to abolish democracy. As a response, many countries have enshrined in their legal systems the idea of a ‘militant democracy’, which defends itself against political actors undermining its foundations. Germany, for example, defines its political system as a militant democracy, allowing the courts to ban political parties.
(Excerpt) Read more at cer.eu ...
“France and Romania: Should far-right candidates be banned from running for the presidency?”
Other than the Zeepers, I suspect most here agree that voters should be given a CHOICE as to who they vote for.
“Populism is incompatible with our democracy” - discuss.
banning one side from politics? isn’t that a hallmark of tyranny? what about banning the far left? would that fly?
“Excluding candidates from standing in elections... to protect democracy”
In other words, “Democracy is dead”
“And everybody who isn’t us is far-right”
France and Romania, by doing these acts, are not ‘protecting’ democracy by admitting that they don’t believe in democratic principles. Far left means socialist/communist. That means the nations will continue to have government sponsored robbery, less rights, and eventual currency collapse from government print and spend. That results is the nations economy becoming stagnant or third world. Please see Argentina for examples.
Socialism is not the answer, neither is its close brother Fascism. These authoritarian government monstrosities can be recognized by their insatiable appetite for other people’s money, property, and personal rights. Freedom of speech, right to self defense, right to have your vote and have it matter, those are rights that the socialists/fascists cannot allow. Banning ‘far right’ is the sine quo non that your government is no longer a democracy.
I notice so far they have not tried to use the “far-right” argument here in USA.
No. Next question.
“Should far-right candidates be banned from running for the presidency?”
Only if the Lefty’s think they might win, heh.
Who gets to decide who’s “far right”?
Trying to put the opposition candidate in prison was a pretty obvious version of it.
The term “far-right”, so popular in Europe and increasingly here, has no meaning.
The question “should x-type of party be banned from running in an election” is also meaningless in a system that claims legitimacy based on an electoral system.
If sovereignty comes from the people, or at least the electorate, then banning candidates, parties, or political philosophies from participation renders sovereignty meaningless.
But "far right" appears not to be in our vocabulary.
In every other Western nation, they're using that terminology.
It really doesn't like President Truump. See:
Donald Trump's return to office: Ten consequences 28 March 2025The conclusion, in part, to that article: "Trump is not popular in the UK. It so happens that many of the leading Brexiteers are either close to Trump or big fans of his – for example, Boris Johnson, Nigel Farage and Liz Truss (she voted Remain but behaves like a hard-line Brexiteer). Their argument that, freed from the shackles of the EU, Britain should nestle up close to the US, is losing credibility. Trump has helped Britons and citizens of EU countries to realise that they have much in common. In the UK, public opinion and most political leaders are strongly behind Ukraine, so there has been little opposition to Keir Starmer’s efforts to solidify European support for Kyiv."
And earlier, to the point: "Trump has weakened America, economically and politically."
Hmmm...are communists and socialists also excluded?
Hitler banned political parties.
What IS far right?
Fascists is what they are, the democracy banners.
First they came for the Nazis.
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