INQUIRY – Established in 1991, this journalistic device that prohibits giving a platform to far-right groups or individuals is accused of restricting freedom of expression.
Suffice it to isolate the far right to prevent its progress? In France, the idea resurfaces with every election, like Captain Haddock’s bandage. To judge its relevance, one only needs to look to our neighbors to the north. For over 35 years, French-speaking Belgium has been experimenting with an almost unique device in the world, called the “political cordon sanitaire.”
The term, derived from medical vocabulary, aims to politically and mediatically isolate parties that do not respect democratic values. With relative effectiveness: “Since this device exists, the far-right has no elected officials here. But what is often forgotten to mention is that the far-left has never been so powerful,” notes Corentin de Salle, director of the Jean-Gol center, the MR (Reformist Movement, French-speaking right) think tank.
The “Black Sunday”
The history of the Belgian cordon sanitaire dates back to 1991. At the legislative election of November 24, dubbed as “Black Sunday”…
[Context: The article discusses the use of a cordon sanitaire in France and its effectiveness in isolating extreme right-wing parties. The term “cordon sanitaire” refers to a set of measures taken to isolate a dangerous or untrusted group.]
[Fact Check: The article mentions the director of a think tank, Corentin de Salle, who comments on the impact of the cordon sanitaire. The details about the far-left’s influence are attributed to his observation.]
