In a significant turn of events, the National Rally party, led by Jordan Bardella, has announced a rally in Paris to oppose a court ruling that has barred Marine Le Pen from running for public office for five years due to embezzlement charges.
France's Far Right Mobilizes for Rally Following Le Pen's Conviction
France's Far Right Mobilizes for Rally Following Le Pen's Conviction
Jordan Bardella calls for protests in Paris against ruling that bans Marine Le Pen from office.
French far-right leader Jordan Bardella urged supporters to rally in Paris this Sunday, expressing outrage over a ruling that denies Marine Le Pen the chance to run for office for five years. This decision follows her involvement in a case where €2.9 million ($3.4 million) in EU funds was misappropriated between 2004 and 2016. Although Le Pen can appeal, the ruling takes immediate effect, significantly undermining her bid for the presidency in 2027.
Speaking at a press conference, Bardella condemned the sentence, stating that it should anger the French populace. He called for "peaceful and calm mobilizations" to protest the judgment, with the first demonstration scheduled at Place Vauban near the Eiffel Tower. Le Pen characterized the ruling as a "nuclear bomb" aimed at undermining her party's rise to power, claiming the establishment used a significant weapon against them, as they are gaining traction ahead of upcoming elections.
In solidarity, Bardella denounced what he termed the "tyranny of judges" and remarked that the legal establishment was closely monitoring the National Rally's progress. He and Le Pen rejected the threats against the judges involved, emphasizing that such behavior was unacceptable. Despite the looming appeal, Le Pen remains determined not to be sidelined easily and plans to continue fighting for her political presence.
With the party’s leadership potentially in transition, some speculate that Bardella, aged 29, may be seen as a viable alternative to Le Pen, especially as polls indicate he could outperform Le Pen among voters. Meanwhile, right-wing allies across Europe, including figures like Hungary's Viktor Orban and US President Donald Trump, have rallied in support of Le Pen, criticizing the court's verdict as an affront to democracy.
Alongside the ban from public office, the ruling also included a €100,000 (£82,635) fine and a four-year prison sentence for Le Pen, two years of which are suspended, raising the stakes in her political ambitions as she prepares for her fourth presidential campaign.
