Court ruling on Le Pen "unfair" say some Parisians, but far right party will go on say others

Record ID: 1987138

  • Title: Court ruling on Le Pen "unfair" say some Parisians, but far right party will go on say others
  • Date: 31st March 2025
  • Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (MARCH 31, 2025) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF COURT BUILDING WHERE FAR RIGHT LEADER MARINE LE PEN RECEIVED RULING FOR EMBEZZLEMENT AND SAYING SHE IS NOT ELLIGIBLE TO RUN IN NEXT PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION FRENCH AND EUROPEAN FLAGS ON COURT BUILDING JOURNALISTS IN FRONT OF THE COURT BUILDING (SOUNDBITE) (French) DAVID, PROJET MANAGER IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, SAYING: “I
  • Embargoed:
  • Keywords: EU funds Marine Le Pen graft case ineligibility
  • Location: PARIS, FRANCE
  • City: PARIS, FRANCE
  • Country: France
  • Topics: Europe,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA001304431032025RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Some Parisians said they found it suspicious and unfair that a French court on Monday (March 31) banned far-right leader and rising political star Marine Le Pen from running for public office in the next election in an embezzlement case.
    Le Pen, 56, was convicted of misappropriating European Union funds and given an immediate five-year ban from running for public office that will stand even pending appeals.
    The ruling was a catastrophic setback for Le Pen, the National Rally (RN) party chief who has long been one of the most prominent figures in the European far right and who has been the front-runner in opinion polls for the 2027 contest.
    Unless she can get her sentence overturned before the 2027 election, her RN party will have to find a new candidate for the next election, most likely 29-year-old party President Jordan Bardella.
    "It is going too far", "it's a pity", "it's unfair" were some of the voices in the streets of Paris whilst others said the National Rally party would keep on going, probably under Bardella.
    The presiding judge who handed down Le Pen's ban said no politician was above the law, while prosecutors who had sought the measure said they were simply availing themselves of toughened anti-corruption laws approved by lawmakers in 2016. Those laws have led to immediate political bans such as that faced by Le Pen becoming more common in France.
    The judge who convicted Le Pen of misappropriating European Union funds also gave her a four-year prison sentence - two years of which are suspended and two years to be served under home detention. She received a 100,000-euro ($108,200) fine.

    (Production: Noemie Olive, Caroline Breniere, Michaela Cabrera)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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