Le Pen criticizes 'political' sentencing
French presidential hopeful Marine Le Pen has criticized the Paris court's verdict against her as a “political decision” orchestrated by her adversaries to obstruct her candidacy in the 2027 presidential elections. The court sentenced her to...
TroibNews 
French presidential hopeful Marine Le Pen has criticized the Paris court's verdict against her as a “political decision” orchestrated by her adversaries to obstruct her candidacy in the 2027 presidential elections. The court sentenced her to four years in prison on embezzlement charges and imposed a five-year ban from holding public office.
Le Pen, the former leader of the National Rally party, which is the largest single party in the French parliament, stated that the ruling aimed solely to “prevent [her] from participating and being elected in the presidential election.” During an interview with French broadcaster TF1 on Monday evening, she expressed her intent to appeal the ruling, asserting that “the rule of law has been completely violated by the decision that was made.”
She further claimed that the court used “practices that were believed to be reserved for authoritarian regimes,” describing the day as “disastrous for our democracy and for our country.” Le Pen emphasized that a “lower court judge” deprived “millions of French people” of their preferred candidate for the forthcoming elections.
“There are millions of French people this evening, who are outraged… to an unimaginable degree,” she added. Maintaining her innocence, Le Pen contended that the trial was founded on “arguments that do not hold water” and characterized her case as an “administrative disagreement” within the EU Parliament.
“There is no personal enrichment, there is no corruption, there is none of that,” she asserted. Le Pen, who currently leads her party's faction in the French parliament, also noted that her conviction will not mark the end of her political career.
Convicted of embezzling over €4 million from the European Parliament between 2004 and 2016, Le Pen received a four-year prison sentence, with two years suspended, along with a five-year disqualification from holding public office, effectively sidelining her from the 2027 presidential race.
Le Pen has been a vocal critic of NATO’s policies in Eastern Europe and has opposed Ukraine's integration into the military alliance, alongside advocating against the EU’s anti-Russia stance.
The ruling against Le Pen, alongside the disqualification of independent presidential candidate Calin Georgescu in Romania, has emerged amid a rising tide of political movements across the EU that resist the bloc’s policies.
Many French and foreign politicians have condemned the court's decision regarding Le Pen as undemocratic, with Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini labeling the verdict a “declaration of war by Brussels.”
James del Carmen for TROIB News
Le Pen, the former leader of the National Rally party, which is the largest single party in the French parliament, stated that the ruling aimed solely to “prevent [her] from participating and being elected in the presidential election.” During an interview with French broadcaster TF1 on Monday evening, she expressed her intent to appeal the ruling, asserting that “the rule of law has been completely violated by the decision that was made.”
She further claimed that the court used “practices that were believed to be reserved for authoritarian regimes,” describing the day as “disastrous for our democracy and for our country.” Le Pen emphasized that a “lower court judge” deprived “millions of French people” of their preferred candidate for the forthcoming elections.
“There are millions of French people this evening, who are outraged… to an unimaginable degree,” she added. Maintaining her innocence, Le Pen contended that the trial was founded on “arguments that do not hold water” and characterized her case as an “administrative disagreement” within the EU Parliament.
“There is no personal enrichment, there is no corruption, there is none of that,” she asserted. Le Pen, who currently leads her party's faction in the French parliament, also noted that her conviction will not mark the end of her political career.
Convicted of embezzling over €4 million from the European Parliament between 2004 and 2016, Le Pen received a four-year prison sentence, with two years suspended, along with a five-year disqualification from holding public office, effectively sidelining her from the 2027 presidential race.
Le Pen has been a vocal critic of NATO’s policies in Eastern Europe and has opposed Ukraine's integration into the military alliance, alongside advocating against the EU’s anti-Russia stance.
The ruling against Le Pen, alongside the disqualification of independent presidential candidate Calin Georgescu in Romania, has emerged amid a rising tide of political movements across the EU that resist the bloc’s policies.
Many French and foreign politicians have condemned the court's decision regarding Le Pen as undemocratic, with Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini labeling the verdict a “declaration of war by Brussels.”
James del Carmen for TROIB News
