JONATHAN TURLEY: France's free speech crackdown shows what happens when politicians define truth

Fox News ^ | 9 Oct, 2026 | Jonathan Turley

[MtnClimber]

From prosecuting comedians to backing the Digital Services Act, Paris has widened its censorship reach for decades.

French President Emmanuel Macron went full Orwell recently. While long the darling of Western media, Macron has been one of the most anti-free-speech leaders in the world. On Sept. 29, he declared that "The so-called American ‘free speech’ today, which some people have promoted, is the opposite of free speech." Having Emmanuel Macron holding forth on free speech is akin to Joey Chestnut proselytizing on veganism.

France has been in a headlong plunge into censorship and speech criminalization. These laws criminalize speech under vague standards referring to "inciting" or "intimidating" others based on race or religion.

For example, fashion designer John Galliano was found guilty in a French court on charges of making antisemitic comments in a Paris bar in 2010 and 2011.

Many of us were disgusted recently when Macron celebrated Brigitte Bardot's life as someone who "embodied a life of freedom." As I discussed, the French government repeatedly prosecuted Bardot for speaking about her views.

FRANCE BECOMES FIRST EU NATION TO BAN SOCIAL MEDIA FOR CHILDREN UNDER 15

Macron’s praise for Bardot’s "life of freedom" is reminiscent of the reaction of French officials to the massacre of editors at Charlie Hebdo, a satirical magazine. After hounding the victims for years with criminal investigations, the French government organized a march for free speech. As predicted, it then used the killing by Islamic extremists to further crack down on free speech.

In my book "The Indispensable Right," I discuss how France has careened down the slippery slope of censorship for decades, and the desire to silence others has now become an insatiable appetite.

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TOPICS: Society
KEYWORDS: leftism

[MtnClimber]

The left here in the USA has been doing the same thing with their cancel culture movement.

[brownsfan]

Politicians are the worst of us. Never forget that.

[nickcarraway]

I never remember him being the darling of Western media.

[Leaning Right]

> Politicians are the worst of us. Never forget that. <

Sometimes I think we’d be better off if governments were formed by lottery. For example, randomly pick 100 names out of a (big) hat. Those folks will be our Senate for the next six years.

🤔

[A_perfect_lady]

If we are going to give political asylum to anyone, it should be to conservative Europeans being politically persecuted for speaking out against Islam.

[brownsfan]

“Sometimes I think we’d be better off if governments were formed by lottery. ... “

Kind of like a military service draft. It would be an improvement, that’s for sure. Those that lust for power are exactly the people who should not have power.

[Brian Griffin]

European countries and leaders that trample on free speech should be as heavily sanctioned by the US as Cuba and its leaders are.

There should be no flights from the USA (or bookings allowed) to the UK or France.

[Brian Griffin]

“For example, randomly pick 100 names out of a (big) hat.”

Definitely avoid any Boston or Cambridge phone listing.

[Ditto]

Sometimes I think we’d be better off if governments were formed by lottery. For example, randomly pick 100 names out of a (big) hat. Those folks will be our Senate for the next six years.

Reminds me of Willian F. Buckley’s famous quote.

” I'd rather entrust the government of the United States to the first 400 people listed in the Boston telephone directory than to the faculty of Harvard University.

William F. Buckley, Jr.

[bobbo666]

The Froggies are following the lead of Germany. Germany made a fatal mistake when they criminalized Holocaust denial. That is censorship. Also asinine since anyone visiting Germany can SEE the infrastructure of the Holocaust.
But, Germany wanted to protect the delicate ears/eyes of those traumatized by their barbarity. Bullshitte. They just wanted to implant a kill switch to free speech when they saw the chance.
If you go to jail for saying something, you cannot be free. That is the purpose of “misinformation” — gov’mt’s initial step to jailing all who criticize. That is the purpose of “protecting children” — gov’mt gets a means to track all of your speech 24/7. And, if they can track it they can edit it.