The ban on Marine Le Pen from contesting the next French presidential election that she was expected to win is an extraordinary blow against democracy that could well backfire. The National Rally leader, who stormed from the Paris courtroom after the sentence, feared it would “kill our movement”.
But it could also supercharge it if voters feel that their right to decide at the ballot box is being thwarted. The involvement of the EU also reinforces the party’s deep antipathy towards the Brussels-based bloc. The judiciary may insist that the case was judged on its merits; but the inescapable impression for millions will be that a concerted effort has been made to stop Le Pen precisely because she is the favourite to win in 2027.
If the ban is not overturned on appeal the main beneficiary will be her protégé Jordan Bardella who would be the likely presidential candidate in her place. Marion Maréchal, Le Pen’s niece, is also a potential runner and is close in her conservative views to Giorgia Meloni and J D Vance.
Those hailing Le Pen’s removal from the political scene only need to look across the Atlantic to see what can happen when the courts are accused of trying to block a presidential candidate. The backlash against the ruling in France will cast Ms Le Pen as a political martyr and reaffirm the views of her supporters that the establishment has lost touch with the people.
Mr Bardella, still in his 20s, said his mentor had been unjustly condemned and “French democracy is being executed”. But if the ruling is reversed then Ms Le Pen will be an even stronger favourite to succeed Emmanuel Macron. If not, then one of her close allies will campaign against the perceived injustices in the French system while she pulls the strings in the background.
This sends a worrying signal to autocrats everywhere, with the Kremlin gloating over what it called a blow to EU democracy. Right-wing, often pro-Russia candidates have been blocked elsewhere, most recently in Romania where the election was annulled.
Another thorn in Brussels’ side, Viktor Orbán, the prime minister of Hungary, tweeted “Je Suis Marine” while Italy’s deputy premier Matteo Salvini said, “Those who fear the judgment of the voters often find reassurance in the judgment of the courts.” The reverberations will be felt not just in France, but across Europe.
The ban on Marine Le Pen from contesting the next French presidential election that she was expected to win is an extraordinary blow against democracy that could well backfire. The National Rally leader, who stormed from the Paris courtroom after the sentence, feared it would “kill our movement”.
But it could also supercharge it if voters feel that their right to decide at the ballot box is being thwarted. The involvement of the EU also reinforces the party’s deep antipathy towards the Brussels-based bloc. The judiciary may insist that the case was judged on its merits; but the inescapable impression for millions will be that a concerted effort has been made to stop Le Pen precisely because she is the favourite to win in 2027.
If the ban is not overturned on appeal the main beneficiary will be her protégé Jordan Bardella who would be the likely presidential candidate in her place. Marion Maréchal, Le Pen’s niece, is also a potential runner and is close in her conservative views to Giorgia Meloni and J D Vance.
Those hailing Le Pen’s removal from the political scene only need to look across the Atlantic to see what can happen when the courts are accused of trying to block a presidential candidate. The backlash against the ruling in France will cast Ms Le Pen as a political martyr and reaffirm the views of her supporters that the establishment has lost touch with the people.
Mr Bardella, still in his 20s, said his mentor had been unjustly condemned and “French democracy is being executed”. But if the ruling is reversed then Ms Le Pen will be an even stronger favourite to succeed Emmanuel Macron. If not, then one of her close allies will campaign against the perceived injustices in the French system while she pulls the strings in the background.
This sends a worrying signal to autocrats everywhere, with the Kremlin gloating over what it called a blow to EU democracy. Right-wing, often pro-Russia candidates have been blocked elsewhere, most recently in Romania where the election was annulled.
Another thorn in Brussels’ side, Viktor Orbán, the prime minister of Hungary, tweeted “Je Suis Marine” while Italy’s deputy premier Matteo Salvini said, “Those who fear the judgment of the voters often find reassurance in the judgment of the courts.” The reverberations will be felt not just in France, but across Europe.