The Far-Right’s Cynical Exploitation of Parliamentary Tools: A Tale of Disruption in France and the United States

Christian Baghai
5 min readSep 6, 2024

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In a political landscape increasingly characterized by cynicism and opportunism, the far-right has mastered the art of weaponizing parliamentary tools not for the good of the people, but to sow chaos and entrench their own power. Whether it’s the far-right in France abusing the motion of censure or their American counterparts turning impeachment into a partisan bludgeon, the pattern is disturbingly clear: these tactics are less about governance and more about disruption, polarization, and self-aggrandizement.

The Motion of Censure in France: A Political Stunt, Not a Solution

In France, the motion of censure is supposed to be a serious parliamentary mechanism — a way for elected officials to hold the government accountable. But in the hands of the far-right, particularly the Rassemblement National (RN) under Marine Le Pen, it has become little more than a grandstanding exercise, a hollow gesture designed to grab headlines rather than effect real change.

Time and again, the RN has filed motions of censure against the government, fully aware that these motions are doomed to fail. They don’t care. The goal isn’t to bring down the government — it’s to position themselves as the loudest, most disruptive force in French politics. Take their attempts during Emmanuel Macron’s presidency, for example: repeatedly launching motions of censure over controversial reforms like pension changes, not because they believed they could actually unseat the government, but because it was a convenient way to rally their base and hog the spotlight.

This is political theater at its most cynical. The RN isn’t interested in governance; they’re interested in perpetuating a narrative of perpetual opposition, casting themselves as the only true voice of the people while the government, no matter what it does, is always the enemy.

Impeachment in the United States: Far-Right’s New Favorite Toy

Across the Atlantic, the far-right in the United States has taken a similarly cynical approach to the impeachment process. Once a rare and serious constitutional measure, impeachment has been reduced to a partisan weapon, wielded recklessly by figures on the far-right who are more interested in creating chaos than upholding the rule of law.

Under Donald Trump’s influence, far-right Republicans have turned impeachment into a cheap political tactic. Figures like Marjorie Taylor Greene have filed articles of impeachment against President Joe Biden almost as soon as he took office — not because they had a realistic chance of success, but because it allowed them to posture as defenders of America against a so-called corrupt administration. It’s a shameless exploitation of a process that was designed to protect the republic, not undermine it.

These impeachment efforts have almost no chance of succeeding, but that’s beside the point. For the far-right, it’s all about the spectacle, about feeding their supporters a steady diet of outrage and conspiracy theories. It’s about keeping the political pot boiling, ensuring that the country remains divided and distrustful.

Comparing the Strategies: Different Contexts, Same Cynicism

While the specifics of these tactics differ between France and the United States, the underlying strategy is depressingly similar. Whether it’s motions of censure in France or impeachment in the U.S., the far-right isn’t interested in solving problems or governing effectively. They’re interested in disruption for its own sake, in destabilizing the political system and portraying themselves as the only true opposition to a corrupt establishment.

The differences in context don’t change the fundamental cynicism of these actions. In France, the motion of censure is a more integrated part of the parliamentary system, yet it’s being twisted into a tool for relentless obstructionism. In the United States, impeachment is supposed to be a last resort, a grave step taken only in the most extreme circumstances. But in the hands of the far-right, it’s become just another weapon in their arsenal, one they’re all too eager to wield without regard for the consequences.

Conclusion: The Far-Right’s War on Democratic Stability

The far-right’s abuse of parliamentary tools like the motion of censure in France and impeachment in the United States is a clear sign of their true agenda: not to govern, not to improve the lives of ordinary people, but to destabilize and disrupt. These are tactics designed to tear down, not build up — to fracture the political system, fuel division, and keep the electorate in a state of constant agitation.

It’s a dangerous game, one that threatens the very foundations of democratic governance. As these tactics become more frequent and more brazen, the need to defend the integrity of parliamentary and constitutional processes becomes ever more urgent. The far-right’s strategy is clear: they aren’t here to govern; they’re here to destroy. And if that means dragging the political system down with them, so be it.

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