France’s far-right leader Marine Le Pen has dismissed her recent conviction as a “political decision” and vowed to continue her political efforts despite being found guilty of embezzling European Parliament funds and banned from participating in elections, including the 2027 presidential race.
“I won’t give up,” Le Pen declared to a crowd of flag-waving supporters from her National Rally party, who gathered at Paris’s Place Vauban on Sunday, with the glittering golden dome of the Hotel National des Invalides in the background. She also accused her opponents of orchestrating a “witch-hunt” against her party, echoing a term famously used by former U.S. President Donald Trump.
Meanwhile, leftist groups and centrist factions held counterprotests at Paris’s Place de la République, calling for justice and unity against the far-right movement.
The judges who convicted Le Pen have reportedly faced threats. Her top ally, Jordan Bardella, leader of the National Rally, claimed the court’s ruling was designed to “eliminate her from the presidential race.” Bardella argued that while the party did not seek to discredit all judges, Le Pen’s conviction represented “a direct attack on democracy and a wound to millions of patriotic French people.”
Monday’s verdict, which could derail Le Pen’s ambition to become France’s president in 2027, has sent shockwaves through the nation’s political landscape.
### Le Pen’s Appeal
Le Pen is reportedly hoping to appeal the part of the ruling that bars her from running for office, with the goal of shortening or lifting the ban in time for the next election. Al Jazeera’s Natacha Butler, reporting from Paris, noted that the appeals court in Paris could examine her case by mid-2026, potentially allowing her to run in 2027.
Before Sunday’s rally, Le Pen urged her supporters to draw inspiration from Martin Luther King Jr., the prominent U.S. civil rights leader known for his nonviolent activism. “We will follow the example of Martin Luther King, who defended civil rights,” she said during a videolink address to Italy’s hard-right League party in Florence.
In northern Paris, former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal criticized the far right during a meeting of President Emmanuel Macron’s Renaissance party. Attal accused the National Rally of “attacking our judges, attacking our institutions” and reaffirmed his party’s commitment to respecting court decisions. “You steal, you pay,” he stated, also condemning “unprecedented interference” in France’s affairs, likely referencing support for Le Pen from figures like Trump and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
### Trump’s Criticism
Trump described Le Pen’s ban as a “witch-hunt” by “European leftists using lawfare to silence free speech and censor their political opponent.”
Le Pen was convicted of embezzling European Parliament funds and sentenced to a partially suspended jail term, along with an immediate ban on holding public office. While her supporters claim the ruling was politically motivated, Macron defended the independence of France’s judiciary.
Le Pen has worked to distance her party from the legacy of her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, the National Rally’s co-founder who was often accused of racism. Recent polling by Elabe for BFMTV suggests she could secure up to 36% of the vote in a future election, reflecting her enduring political influence.
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