Jordan Bardella, president of France’s far-right National Rally (RN), has issued a fiery call for nationwide protests this weekend following a Paris court’s decision to ban Marine Le Pen from holding public office for five years.
The ruling stems from Le Pen’s conviction for misusing €4 million in EU funds when she served as a European Parliament member.
Bardella denounced the verdict as politically motivated during impassioned interviews with Europe 1 and CNews, urging supporters to participate in “democratic, peaceful” demonstrations across France through leafleting campaigns and local meetings.
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The three-time presidential candidate immediately announced plans to appeal what she called a blatant attempt to derail her final White House run. “I’m not going to let myself be eliminated like this,” Le Pen told RN lawmakers, comparing the ruling to a “nuclear bomb” deployed by the political establishment.
While the court imposed a four-year prison sentence (with two years suspended) and €100,000 fine, these penalties remain on hold pending appeals that could take years. Judge Bénédicte de Perthuis emphasized Le Pen’s central role in the funding scheme and her lack of remorse as factors in the immediate election ban.
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This verdict delivers a shattering blow to RN’s ambitions, especially after Le Pen led early polling for the next presidential race. Bardella emerges as the likely alternative standard-bearer, though Le Pen’s defiant stance suggests a bitter internal transition.
In her northern stronghold of Hénin-Beaumont, RN activists distributed leaflets reading “Let’s save democracy,” while local reactions mirrored national divisions – a recent Elabe poll showed 57% of French citizens support the court’s decision versus 42% who perceive political bias.
The ruling has galvanized far-right movements across Europe, with allies decrying alleged judicial overreach against populist leaders.
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President Emmanuel Macron’s government has remained conspicuously silent, though Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne privately expressed discomfort with the ruling according to sources.
In addition, Renaissance party lawmaker Pieyre-Alexandre Anglade downplayed prospects of major protests, contrasting the situation with historic French demonstrations. The case centers on whether RN improperly used EU funds to pay French staff rather than parliamentary assistants in Brussels – a practice Le Pen maintains was legitimate.
As appeals begin, the confrontation tests France’s delicate balance between judicial independence and democratic representation, with potential ramifications for European populism’s future.
