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Articles on Nicolas Sarkozy

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A memorial to Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny laid in Saint Petersburg on February 16, 2024. Olga Maltseva/AFP via Getty Images

Trump is no Navalny, and prosecution in a democracy is a lot different than persecution in Putin’s Russia

Donald Trump says he’s being politically persecuted, like Russian democracy martyr Alexei Navalny, who died while in a Russian prison on Feb. 16. A scholar says there’s no comparison between the men.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, second from right, ran the investigation that led to former President Donald Trump’s indictment. AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura

Prosecuting a president is divisive and sometimes destabilizing – here’s why many countries do it anyway

Both sweeping immunity and overzealous prosecutions of former leaders can undermine democracy. But such prosecutions pose different risks for older democracies like the US than in younger ones.
A man protesting in New York City one year after the violent insurrection in Washington, D.C. Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images

Prosecuting Trump would inevitably be political – and other countries have had mixed success in holding ex-presidents accountable

Criminal charges against former President Donald Trump for his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot could spark political consequences – not only for Trump, but for US democracy.
Youssoupha performs at the Urban Peace concert at the Stade de France, September 2013. Pierre Andrieu/AFP

How politicians use French rap to stoke divisions

Recent polemical debates over French rappers Youssoupha and Médine show that rap is still not accepted by the political mainstream.
Adoring fans celebrated Brazilian ex-President Luiz Inacio ‘Lula’ da Silva before he began a prison sentence for corruption in 2018. Lula’s conviction was recently annulled. Miguel Schincariol/AFP via Getty Images)

Prosecuting ex-presidents for corruption is trending worldwide – but it’s not always great for democracy

From Europe to Latin America and the US, former world leaders are being investigated, tried and even jailed. In theory, this shows no one is above the law. But presidents and PMs aren’t just anyone.
Yellow vest protesters want French president Emmanuel Macron to feel their pain. Is he listening? Reuters/Stephane Mahe

Shockwaves from French ‘yellow vest’ protests felt across Europe

President Emmanuel Macron has presented himself as a defender of the liberal order against the rising tide of right-wing populism. But he can’t lead Europe while mass protests have France in crisis.
French President Emmanuel Macron, his wife Brigitte Macron, U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump on the Place de la Concorde, Paris July 14, 2017. Yves Herman/Reuters

The ups and downs of Franco-American relations

France and the US have always had their differences, but they’ve also proved strong and steady allies.
Emmanuel Macron was the winner of the first round of the French presidental election. Eric Feferberg/AFP

French election: how the vote came to be so split

The first round of the presidential election has left French citizens and politicians divided – and the top candidates’ four-way split doesn’t favour governance of the country.
Popular candidates for the 2017 presidential election (from left): Fillon, Macron, Melenchon, Le Pen and Hamon get ready to debate on March 20, 2017. REUTERS/Patrick Kovarik

Six questions about the French elections

Get up to speed before the first round of voting on April 23.

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