The politics of apoliticism

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In 1942, the dictatorial regime of occupied France orchestrated a show trial that backfired spectacularly. In a society stripped of democratic checks, the government created a court filled with sympathetic magistrates and soldiers to prosecute leaders of the defunct republic, aiming to showcase the new regime's superiority. However, the trial not only failed to secure a conviction but also became a platform for the regime's fiercest critics, despite being restricted to government-selected journalists. The public relations fallout was so severe that the government had to cancel the trial altogether. This debacle was not imposed by the German occupiers but stemmed from a misguided initiative rooted in the regime’s supporters’ beliefs. They perceived their opponents as politicizing national interests while viewing their own actions as apolitical. The Riom Trial illustrates that the rejection of politics can yield consequences nearly as damaging as actively suppressing dissenting views. Today, politicians across the spectrum often blame excessive polarization for political gridlock, yet this may reflect the reality of democracy striving to represent a divided populace.