A Paris court found Le Pen and more than 20 members of her party guilty last week of abusing European Union funds. The ruling now bars her from standing in the 2027 presidential election unless she succeeds in her appeal, which the court will decide by summer 2026.
“I won’t give up,” Le Pen said to a group of supporters at Place Vauban, a symbolic site close to the historic Hotel National des Invalides. She also blamed the judiciary for initiating a “witch hunt” against her and the National Rally.
Supporters Rally in Paris Amid Legal Turmoil
Hundreds of Le Pen supporters in downtown Paris chanted “Marine! Marine!” and “We will win” as they waved French flags. The orderly protest was to show popular support for Le Pen as she asserted political persecution.
Most of the audience that attended the trial expressed backing of her resistance to the ruling, perceiving that the allegations were targeted at ending her political journey. A few of her supporters concurred with Le Pen that the trial was a plot for her “political death.”
Le Pen Remains 2027 Front-Runner Despite Conviction
In spite of the ruling, Le Pen is still a strong contender for the 2027 presidential elections. According to a recent Elabe poll, she is still on top in the first-round projections with 32% to 36% of voter backing—the highest compared to former Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, who garnered 20.5% to 24%.
Le Pen reaffirmed her intention to contest, saying she would seek every legal means to remain in the campaign. “We will take the lead from Martin Luther King, who defended civil rights,” she told a video message to Italy’s League party congress in Florence. “It is the civil rights of the French people that are being questioned today.”
French Public Divided Over Court Verdict
Although Le Pen and her supporters condemn what they term as the “tyranny of judges,” public opinion in France appears to favour the actions of the judiciary. In a survey by Odoxa, 65% of the people were “not shocked” at the court’s verdict, and 54% said Le Pen was treated like any other defendant.
The backlash against the judiciary continued to escalate after the chief judge handling Le Pen’s case received death threats and was put under police protection.
Leftist groups meanwhile organized a counter-demonstration at Place de la République, condemning Le Pen’s verbal attacks on the justice system and her efforts to pose as a political victim.
Comparing Herself to Navalny and Calling for Nonviolence
Le Pen compared herself to Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who passed away in 2024 in a Siberian prison in President Vladimir Putin’s regime. She called upon her own supporters to embrace a non-violent strategy, referencing Martin Luther King Jr. as an example of peaceful civil disobedience.
Le Pen has repeatedly attempted to remake the National Rally into a mainstream political entity, distancing itself from the tumultuous past of her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, co-founder and recent deceased.
Barring the judicial troubles, nevertheless, Le Pen seems adamant about staying in the center stage of French politics. Backed by a devoted fan base and still going strong in the polls, she remains a formidable force despite mounting legal hurdles.
