Le Pen constituency supporters slams presidential election ban

Record ID: 1987186

  • Title: Le Pen constituency supporters slams presidential election ban
  • Date: 31st March 2025
  • Summary: HENIN BEAUMONT, FRANCE (MARCH 31, 2025) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF SUPERMARKET HENIN BEAUMONT RESIDENT, MARIE-LOUISE PETUREAU, 62, PUTTING AWAY SHOPPING TROLLEY (SOUNDBITE) (French) HENIN BEAUMONT RESIDENT, MARIE-LOUISE PETUREAU, 62, SAYING: "My reaction? I'm appalled by what's happening with Marine Le Pen. I think it's a coup d'etat, it's not right what's happening. She's a wo
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  • Keywords: Henin RN party constituency marine le pen rassemblement national vox pops
  • Location: HENIN BEAUMONT, FRANCE
  • City: HENIN BEAUMONT, FRANCE
  • Country: France
  • Topics: Europe,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA001308531032025RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Supporters of Marine Le Pen in her constituency in northern France expressed shock and disappointment at a ban from running for public office which would rule her out of the 2027 presidential race unless she can win an appeal before then.
    The French court's 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.
    Judge Benedicte de Perthuis said Le Pen had been "at the heart" of a scheme to misappropriate more than 4 million euros ($4.3 million) of EU funds and use them to pay the far-right party's staff back home.
    The lack of remorse by Le Pen and other defendants was among reasons that prompted the court to ban them from running for office with immediate effect, de Perthuis said.
    Her "surprised", "gutted" and "disappointed" supporters in Henin-Beaumont described her as a good leader who would listen to voters' concerns whilst RN lawmaker Robert Le Bourgeois told Reuters: "It's not up to a politicised justice to say who can run in an election or not."
    Le Pen has run three times for president and has said 2027 will be her final run for top office. Her hopes now lie on overturning Monday's ruling at appeal before the election. Appeals in France can take months or even years.
    Before Monday's events Le Pen had described prosecutors as seeking her "political death". She left the courtroom in Paris before the judge read out her sentence, and without making any comment.
    (Production: Marco Trujillo, Johnny Cotton)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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