Editorial: Le Monde

• Joe Biden commuted the sentences of 37 death-row inmates on December 23rd.
• This applies to an unprecedented number of inmates on death row.
• The announcement aligns with the moratorium on federal executions established at the beginning of his term.
• The decision only affects federal death sentences and excludes certain high-profile criminals.
• The number of executions has recently increased, despite a steady decline since 1999.
• A majority of Americans still support the death penalty, but this number is decreasing.
• The rise in executions is most prevalent in states with a Republican majority.
• Donald Trump has critiqued Biden's clemency and vowed to expand the death penalty if re-elected.

Conclusion: Despite efforts to halt executions, the US remains an outlier in the Western world as it upholds the death penalty, especially in Republican-held states. A more marked and universal policy shift is needed to change this course.

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