Grok says:
Marine Le Pen’s five-year ban from public office, slammed down today after her embezzlement conviction, flips the script for France. She’s out of the 2027 presidential race unless her appeal—a long shot—wraps up fast and flips the ruling. The National Rally (RN) will likely tap Jordan Bardella, her 29-year-old sidekick, to carry the flag. He’s got charisma but no deep playbook, so RN’s momentum (34-37% in polls) could stall if he can’t match her heft.
Expect fireworks: RN backers are pissed, calling it a judicial hit job—some X posts scream “civil war,” though that’s probably hot air. Bardella’s pushing “peaceful mobilization” with petitions, but street protests could flare, given France’s track record (think Yellow Vests). Rivals like Macron’s centrists or the left’s France Unbowed might pounce, splitting the far-right vote if Bardella flops. Oddly, even foes like Darmanin (“profoundly shocking”) and Mélenchon are uneasy about the ban, hinting at a weird cross-party pushback against court overreach.
Longer term, trust in institutions might crater—RN’s already spinning this as “dictatorship of judges.” If Bardella holds the line, RN could still flex in parliament; if he doesn’t, the far-right splinters. France won’t collapse, but 2027’s up for grabs, and the vibe’s tense.
