On December 13, 2024, Mike Borowski appeared on Géopolitique Profonde to comment on the recent arrest of 30 people for cyberstalking Brigitte Macron.
An unprecedented wave of arrests
Thirty individuals, including writers and public figures such as Zoé Sagan and Bertrand Scholler, were arrested for messages deemed offensive to Brigitte Macron. This large-scale operation marks a turning point in the management of online criticism. The state seems to want to send a clear message: any overly virulent criticism of figures of power, even on the Internet, will be suppressed.
This police intervention, disproportionate according to some, illustrates an increasingly blurred line between freedom of expression and cyber-harassment. By targeting identifiable personalities, the state is demonstrating its desire to protect power against accusations deemed destabilizing.
The shadow of the “Jean-Michel Trogneux taboo
This affair takes place against a backdrop of controversy, fuelled by a persistent rumour about an alleged double identity for Brigitte Macron, linked to the name Jean-Michel Trogneux. Although denied by the Élysée, the rumor set social networks ablaze.
By opting for a heavy-handed judicial response, the state may unwittingly be reinforcing these speculations. This repressive management seems to reveal an inability to deal in any other way with criticism and rumors that undermine power.
A strategy that raises questions about the future of freedom
Beyond this particular case, this affair raises questions about freedom of expression in France. While cyber-harassment deserves appropriate responses, mass arrests for comments published online are akin to an authoritarian drift.
Far from protecting democratic debate, these measures risk stifling it. They raise an essential question: is it still possible to criticize the authorities without fear of prosecution? By seeking to muzzle its critics, the authorities are intensifying the controversy, transforming certain defendants, such as Zoé Sagan and Bertrand Scholler, into symbols of a fight for fundamental freedoms.
An attempt at control that backfires
Rather than calming tensions, the affair amplified the controversy. The arrests have sparked an outcry on social networks, with many denouncing an attack on democracy. The Jean-Michel Trogneux rumor, far from being dispelled, is gaining in visibility, fueled by what is perceived as an attempt at censorship.
This scandal goes beyond the case of Brigitte Macron and highlights a worrying trend: a state that, in the face of dissent, favors repression over transparency. If this trend persists, France risks tipping over into a society of control, where criticism becomes a crime.
For a detailed analysis of the mechanisms of power and authoritarian excesses, take a look at Géopolit's monthly review.
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