French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday reacted for the first time to the conviction of far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who was charged with embezzlement and banned from running in the next presidential election. This is reported by UNN with reference to Politico.
Details
Macron opened the weekly meeting of French ministers by mentioning the court's decision on Marine Le Pen. He emphasized three main points, which were previously stated by government spokeswoman Sophie Primas:
- the judiciary is independent;
- threats against judges are absolutely intolerable and unacceptable;
- the law is the same for everyone.
The President also stated that "all defendants have the right to judicial protection.
The trial of Marine Le Pen
A panel of three judges on Monday found Le Pen guilty of embezzling funds from the European Parliament and sentenced her to four years in prison, two of which are suspended and the other two under house arrest. Le Pen was also fined 100,000 euros and banned from holding public office for the next five years.
Thus, this decision deprives Le Pen of participation in the next presidential elections in France in 2027, unless the Court of Appeal reverses this decision. In turn, the Paris Court of Appeal issued a statement on Tuesday, noting that the Le Pen case will be considered and a decision will be made by the summer of 2026.
Reaction of French society
The decision to ban Le Pen from running immediately sparked condemnation from her supporters at home and abroad. Some consider this decision undemocratic, although many of their theses incorrectly describe what happened during the trial and the discussions that arose after it.
Although few doubt Le Pen's guilt, even some of her opponents publicly doubt whether courts should be allowed to impose an immediate ban on running for office. In their opinion, it is worth waiting for the completion of the appeal process. In France, most sentences are overturned on appeal.
The negative reaction also led to threats against the judges who heard the case. One of them received police protection.
Addition
US State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said that the White House expresses "particular concern" about Le Pen's imprisonment and the ban on her participation in elections.
She recalled US Vice President Di Wens' speech on February 14 at the Munich Security Conference on the protection of freedom of speech, as well as against the exclusion of people from the political process.