French far-right leader rallies supporters after conviction, calls verdict ‘political decision’
RN party's President Jordan Bardella (R) applauds as President of Rassemblement National parliamentary group Marine Le Pen gestures after delivering a speech during a rally in her support, after she was convicted of a fake jobs scheme at the EU parliament, in Paris, France on April 6, 2025. (AFP Photo)
Far-right leader Marine Le Pen vowed Sunday to continue her political fight despite a court conviction that threatens to derail her 2027 presidential ambitions, telling supporters at a rally that her sentencing was a “political decision.”
“I won’t give up,” Le Pen declared to a packed crowd at Place Vauban, as supporters waved French flags and chanted “Marine! Marine!” against the backdrop of the iconic golden dome of the Hotel National des Invalides.
The ruling, which found Le Pen guilty of embezzling European Parliament funds, handed her a partly suspended jail term and an immediate ban from holding public office—a decision that has sent shockwaves through France’s political landscape.
Jordan Bardella, the 29-year-old head of the National Rally party and Le Pen’s close ally, told the gathering that the court’s decision was aimed at “eliminating her from the presidential race.”
“We don’t want to discredit all judges,” Bardella said, “but this conviction is a direct attack on democracy and a wound to millions of patriotic French people.”
The far-right gathering came days after Monday’s verdict, which has drawn international attention, including from U.S. President Donald Trump who called the sentence a “witch hunt” by “European leftists using lawfare to silence free speech, and censor their political opponent.”
Counter-demonstrations emerge
As Le Pen’s supporters rallied, opposing political forces organized counter-demonstrations across Paris.
At a meeting of President Emmanuel Macron’s Renaissance party in the northern working-class suburb of Saint-Denis, former prime minister Gabriel Attal condemned the far right for “attacking our judges, attacking our institutions.”
“You steal, you pay,” Attal stated in a later speech, also criticizing what he called “unprecedented interference” in French affairs from foreign leaders like Trump and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
The Saint-Denis gathering drew prominent figures including Prime Minister François Bayrou and former premier Edouard Philippe, who is considered a potential 2027 presidential contender.
Meanwhile, about 3,000 people attended a separate counter-rally at Place de la Republique, organized by left-wing groups including the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) party.
“The far right is a dangerous party, dangerous for democracy and dangerous for the rule of law,” said LFI coordinator Manuel Bompard, arguing that the National Rally had revealed its true nature despite efforts to appear mainstream.
Appeal and political Strategy
Earlier Sunday, Le Pen urged her supporters to draw inspiration from American civil rights leader Martin Luther King.
“We will follow the example of Martin Luther King, who defended civil rights,” she told members of Italy’s hard-right League party via video-link from a meeting in Florence. “It is the civil rights of the French people that are being called into question today.”
Le Pen has also compared her situation to that of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died in an Arctic prison earlier this year after being jailed under President Vladimir Putin.
Despite the legal setback, recent polling shows Le Pen’s continued political strength. A survey by pollster Elabe for BFMTV released Saturday indicated she could capture up to 36 percent of the vote in a future presidential contest.
Political analysts suggest Le Pen will likely embrace a victim narrative to maintain supporter loyalty while her case proceeds through the appeals process.
The Paris Court of Appeal is expected to review Le Pen’s case within a timeframe that could potentially allow her to contest future elections if her conviction is overturned or her sentence modified.
