French leftist and centrist lawmakers say Le Pen verdict upholds judicial independence

Record ID: 1987602

  • Title: French leftist and centrist lawmakers say Le Pen verdict upholds judicial independence
  • Date: 1st April 2025
  • Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (APRIL 1, 2025) (REUTERS) JOURNALISTS IN THE QUATRE COLONNES HALL AT THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY  VARIOUS OF LAWMAKERS WALKING THROUGH THE QUATRE COLONNES ROOM  VARIOUS OF GUARDS IN THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SOCIALIST LAWMAKER OLIVIER FAURE TALKING TO JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (French) SOCIALIST MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT, OLIVIER FAURE, SAYING: "I'd like the government to rem
  • Embargoed:
  • Keywords: Faure Greens National Assembly Rousseau Socialist Party
  • Location: PARIS, FRANCE
  • City: PARIS, FRANCE
  • Country: France
  • Topics: Crime/Law/Justice,Europe,Judicial Process/Court Cases/Court Decisions
  • Reuters ID: LVA001336001042025RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:Lawmakers from the Socialist Party and the centrist Renaissance party defended the court ruling that found far-right leader Marine Le Pen guilty of embezzling EU funds and barred her from running for public office for five years.
    Leader of the Socialist Party, Olivier Faure, said France must defend its judicial model, while fellow Socialist Arthur Delaporte said an independent justice system is a “principle of any functioning democracy”.
    Lawmakers from Le Pen’s National Rally (RN) have expressed outrage at the ruling, with Laure Lavalette saying Le Pen has been “sidelined” from a presidential election she was in a position to win.
    Monday's (March 31) ruling was a catastrophic setback for Le Pen, the long-time National Rally (RN) leader, who had been the front-runner in opinion polls for the 2027 presidential election.
    Le Pen was also given a four-year prison sentence - two years of which are suspended and two years to be served under home detention - and a 100,000-euro ($108,200) fine, but they will not apply until her appeals are exhausted. Appeals in France can take months or even years.
    (Production: Noemie Olive, Caroline Breniere, Michaela Cabrera)
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