It is a bomb that could shake up the French political landscape. The prosecution requested on Wednesday evening five years in prison, including two years subject to change and a fine of 300,000 euros, against Marine Le Pen in the trial of the parliamentary assistants of the National Rally. The prosecution also requested five years of ineligibility, accompanied by a provisional execution, which would have the effect of making the sentence applicable even in the event of an appeal.
If the court follows the prosecution, the three-time presidential candidate would therefore not be able to run again in 2027. Her supporters have – unsurprisingly – denounced a “relentlessness” against the leader of their movement and an “attack on democracy” . But the former party boss also received more unexpected support from… her political adversaries.
“Fight Marine Le Pen at the polls”
If many RN elected officials have published photos of themselves with Marine Le Pen on X under the hashtag #JeSoutiensMarine, Gérald Darmanin did not go that far. But the former Minister of the Interior indicated that “it would be deeply shocking if Marine Le Pen were deemed ineligible and, thus, could not stand before the vote of the French people”. His argument? He considers it preferable to “fight Madame Le Pen (…) at the polls, not elsewhere. If the court judges that she must be condemned, she cannot be sentenced electorally, without the expression of the People. Let us not be afraid of democracy and let us avoid widening, even further, the difference between the ‘elites’ and the immense majority of our fellow citizens,” he indicated.
The mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, says more or less the same thing: “it must be defeated at the ballot box, not in the courtrooms. If it must be condemned, let it be, but let us not prevent democratic debate.”
Same tone with Eric Zemmour, generally not tender with his rival. “If Marine Le Pen were declared ineligible, we would then reach an unprecedented level in the government of judges. Whatever our disagreements, it is surely not up to justice to decide who can be a candidate in the presidential election,” said the president of Reconquest on X.
A law passed by parliamentarians
Several elected officials, however, recalled on social networks that this judicial decision was indeed based on “French law”, as ex-macronist Sacha Houlié says. A law which was therefore passed by parliamentarians elected by the French. Christian Estrosi also asked that “Parliament seriously consider the automaticity of ineligibility sentences. It is a dangerous principle, which undermines the democratic debate.”
Highly anticipated, the court’s decision, which could end Marine Le Pen’s political career, will not be known for several months.
