France: Le Pen declares 'nuclear bomb' dropped after office ban sentencing

The head of the Rassemblement National party declined to make preparations for a potential conviction. In her initial public response, she held back from handing over leadership to her deputy, Jordan Bardella, which has intensified political uncertainty within the far-right faction.

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen has received a five-year disqualification from holding public office due to her involvement in embezzling EU funds, marking a significant political upheaval.

This ruling, which is effective immediately, could prevent her from participating in the next presidential election in France.

At a press conference in Paris on Tuesday, Le Pen remarked, “The system has unleashed a nuclear bomb. The reason it’s resorting to such extreme measures is clearly because we are on the verge of winning the election.”

Having been the runner-up to French President Emmanuel Macron twice, the 56-year-old, daughter of the late far-right icon Jean-Marie Le Pen, has seen a rise in her support base.

She has been sentenced to two years of house arrest with an electronic ankle monitor, along with an additional two-year suspended sentence and an immediate five-year ineligibility for public office.

Le Pen’s attorney announced plans to appeal the decision, but she will remain ineligible during the appeal process, potentially excluding her from the 2027 presidential election.

“We will defend our rights, peacefully and democratically, alongside the rights of our voters,” Le Pen stated.

Although she won’t begin serving her house arrest until all appeals are resolved, the ban on her candidacy will take effect immediately, regardless of her legal challenge.

With the election looming just two years away, time is of the essence, and there’s no assurance that the appeals court will rule in her favor.

The ruling comes as Le Pen enjoys record support in opinion polls, as she aims to capitalize on her decade-long efforts to bring her party into the political mainstream ahead of the upcoming presidential election.

Le Pen has led the National Rally since 2011, and in 2021, Jordan Bardella took over as party president to allow her to concentrate on the presidential campaign.

Should Le Pen be officially barred from competing, Bardella appears to be the obvious choice to take her place.

During a news conference in Paris, Bardella remarked that the “rule of law” has been supplanted by a “tyranny of judges.”

Le Pen, along with other officials from the National Rally party, faced legal proceedings for misusing funds designated for European Union parliamentary aides to pay party staff from 2004 to 2016, which contravened the regulations of the 27-member bloc.

At that time, the National Rally was known as the National Front.