Roula Khalaf, the Editor of the Financial Times, curates her favorite stories in a weekly newsletter, which is accessible for free in the Editor’s Digest.
This past Sunday, thousands congregated in Paris to support Marine Le Pen, the far-right leader, who described a legal conviction risking her exclusion from the upcoming presidential election as a “witch-hunt.” She pledged to appeal the verdict in an effort to “defend democracy and the rule of law.” Le Pen and her Rassemblement National (RN) party received guilty verdicts on Monday for embezzling €4.4 million in EU parliament funds intended for Brussels staff who actually worked for the RN in France.
The court imposed a five-year ban on her eligibility to run for election and a prison sentence of two years, likely to be served at home with an electronic bracelet, along with a subsequent two-year suspended sentence. Addressing her flag-waving supporters, Le Pen characterized the ruling as a “political decision” rather than a judicial one, arguing that it prevented the people from expressing their will.
In an attempt to address accusations from other political entities that the RN aimed to undermine France’s justice system, Le Pen described the decision as undemocratic. “We are the most fervent defenders of and the most ardent protectors of democracy and the rule of law,” she insisted, despite trial evidence showing RN officials misused European parliament funds.
Le Pen’s combative stance signifies a departure from her past strategy of normalizing the RN party as respectful of France’s political institutions. This approach has fueled anger among her supporters, leading to threats against the head judge on the case, who is now under police protection.
The appeals court has offered Le Pen a potential opportunity, announcing that it will hear her case by 2026. This development could allow her to run for president in 2027 if cleared, though this outcome appears doubtful given the first trial’s evidence, or if the judges decide on a lesser sentence excluding an election ban.
Le Pen’s “witch-hunt” remarks resonate with U.S. President Donald Trump’s reactions to her conviction. Trump condemned the ruling on his Truth Social platform, calling it “another example of European Leftists using Lawfare to silence Free Speech.”
Instead of stepping down for her handpicked successor, RN party leader Jordan Bardella, Le Pen is concentrating her efforts on contesting her election ban. Bardella, speaking at the rally attended by over 10,000 supporters, described the verdict as a “direct attack against democracy” and a wound to many French citizens. He assured Le Pen of his unwavering support, highlighting their mutual trust, respect, and shared convictions.
Rally attendees, including Laurence, a former shop assistant from Eure-et-Loir near Paris, expressed outrage over Le Pen’s disqualification from future elections, calling it “scandalous” and voicing a desire for change in France.
The RN’s opposition to the verdict has encountered resistance across the political spectrum. Centrist and left-wing politicians hosted their own rallies, with former prime minister and Renaissance party leader Gabriel Attal criticizing the far-right for challenging the judiciary. Attal emphasized that the centrist bloc would not dismiss judicial rulings. Prime Minister François Bayrou remarked in Le Parisien that political demonstrations against judicial decisions compromised the French constitution’s separation of powers.
