French presidential hopeful Marine Le Pen sentenced to jail: As it happened

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Washington is concerned about candidates being excluded from the political process, US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce has said.

“We have got to do more as the West than just talk about democratic values, we must live them,” she told a press conference, commenting on Le Pen’s guilty verdict.

“Exclusion of people from the political process is particularly concerning, given the aggressive and corrupt lawfare waged against President Trump here in the United States,” the spokesperson added.

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Le Pen blasts ‘political’ sentencing

Le Pen has stated that she will not simply submit to the court ruling, calling it “a denial of democracy.” 

“No judge can decide to interfere in an election as important as the presidential election, and furthermore, by violating the rule of law,” she told TF1 TV.

She added that, like her supporters, she was outraged.

“Let them know that this indignation and this sense of injustice will be an additional driving force in the fight I am waging for them,” she said.

Marine Le Pen has described the court’s decision to bar her from running in France’s 2027 presidential election as politically motivated. Speaking on TF1 TV, she denied the allegations of embezzling public funds and said she was being “eliminated.” 

“I did not think that the magistrates would go to this point against our democratic process,” Le Pen stated, adding: “In reality, millions of French people have lost their voice…” 

Talking about the plans to appeal her conviction, Le Pen vowed to “always” stand by the French. “There are millions of French people who believe in me – millions of French people who trust me,” she said.

Former French President Francois Hollande has called for “respect for the independence of the judiciary” following Le Pen’s conviction. “Justice has spoken legally, has not preached morality, and has spoken with complete independence,” Hollande told BFM-TV, adding that the court had handed down “a harsh sentence, but for serious offenses.”

Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council Dmitry Medvedev has called the verdict an attempt by French authorities to eliminate political rivals, saying that the Fifth French Republic has completely discredited itself.
 
“The main goal of this hastily arranged ruling is to sideline the leader of one of France’s major parties ahead of the 2027 presidential election,” Medvedev wrote on the social media platform VKontakte, adding that “the world recently witnessed a similar disgrace in Romania.”

France’s Socialist Party has said it acknowledges the court’s ruling against Le Pen “as it would any other,” and urged to “respect the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law.” 
 
“The Socialist Party remains committed to defending republican values and transparency in public life, which are essential to building public trust,” the party said in a statement.

Marine Le Pen’s conviction is another example of judicial intervention in the political process, John Laughland, a lecturer in politics and history at the Catholic Institute of the Vendee (ICES) in Western France, has told RT. He called the court’s ruling “very bad” for the image of France and the EU, citing similar cases in Romania and Germany.

The decision, he argued, would only reinforce Le Pen and the National Rally’s position as “victims of the system” and ultimately strengthen their political standing.

Laughland also pointed to similar cases involving former French Prime Minister Francois Fillon, former Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvin, and US President Donald Trump, saying “I think the key political interpretation, if there is one, is more to do with Russia and NATO and the Western alliance generally than more specifically with the EU.”

The conviction of Le Pen is a “shame” for a country that describes itself as a symbol of liberty, and signals a move away from democratic standards to those of the developing world, Pascal Mas, a diplomatic adviser and specialist on Russia, has told RT.

Mas said Le Pen was prosecuted for “very serious things” with the intention of “killing her party,” and called it “incredible” to see a country built on civil liberties take such a path. “People are shocked to observe such injustice,” he said, adding that a strong public reaction could follow.

Citing latest opinion polls, Mas argued that the French authorities wanted Le Pen “out of the game” because they feared she could win the 2027 presidential election.

RN President Jordan Bardella, in a post on X, has called the verdict against Le Pen “a democratic scandal” and urged “peaceful and popular mobilization” to show that “the will of the people is stronger.” 

An accompanying petition titled ‘Save democracy, support Marine’ has said: “You have always been able to count on Marine Le Pen, on her willingness to defend you, on her patriotism. Today, she is counting on you.”

FILE PHOTO: Jordan Bardella and Marine Le Pen © Getty Images / Chesnot / Contributor