A debate has arisen within the Rassemblement National over the reintroduction of the death penalty. Following statements by the party spokesperson, Laurent Jacobelli, who said that a referendum on the death penalty could be considered if the population wanted it, the party’s vice president, Sébastien Chenu, has clearly disavowed these remarks.
“No, the reintroduction of the death penalty is not part of our program,” Chenu stated, making it clear that the RN’s official line remains unchanged. Instead, the party supports further tightening of criminal law, without reintroducing the death penalty.
The trigger for the controversy was Jacobelli’s statements regarding particularly serious sexual crimes against minors. He had stated that, if the French population demanded a referendum on the matter, that possibility should at least be discussed. His remarks prompted immediate political reactions and also caused irritation within the RN.
Chenu’s expressed distancing makes clear that the party leadership is seeking to avoid creating any doubt about its official position. Marine Le Pen had already spoken out on several occasions in recent years against reintroducing the death penalty. In addition, the current Rassemblement National program contains no demand to that effect.
Politically, the issue remains particularly sensitive in France. The death penalty was abolished in 1981 under Justice Minister Robert Badinter. Today, its reintroduction is virtually ruled out both by the French constitution and by international commitments, especially the European Convention on Human Rights. A return to the death penalty would require profound changes at the constitutional and European legal levels.
The controversy also shows the difficult balancing act that the Rassemblement National must maintain between tough security rhetoric and the claim of presenting itself as a party fit to govern. The swift correction of Jacobelli’s statements indicates that the party leadership wants to avoid sending contradictory signals on key social and political issues.
Author: Andreas M. Brucker