French far-right leader Marine Le Pen claimed that the judiciary used a “nuclear bomb” to destroy her presidential ambitions, thereby placing France among nations where the term “lawfare”—the alleged political interference by judges—is becoming more prevalent.
On Monday, a Paris court found Le Pen and around twenty other members of her National Rally (RN) party guilty of misappropriating EU funds. As a result, Le Pen received an immediate five-year disqualification from holding public office, which would prevent her from participating in the 2027 presidential election unless she successfully appeals the decision before that time.
Le Pen, her RN associates, and supporters worldwide, including former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro—who is also barred from office until 2030—accused the judges of undermining democratic processes.
French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou expressed his “unconditional support” for the judiciary during a session with lawmakers on Tuesday. He asserted that the ruling did not threaten democracy, although he personally had “questions” regarding Le Pen’s disqualification.
He suggested that if politicians disagreed with the law permitting such bans, they should work to amend it. Eric Ciotti, a lawmaker aligned with the RN, indicated he would pursue that course of action.
An Elabe opinion poll conducted for BFM TV after Monday’s ruling revealed that nearly 60% of respondents deemed the verdict against Le Pen fair in light of her offenses, while 42% believed it was politically motivated.
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The poll also indicated that 42% of voters were satisfied with the ruling, while about a third expressed dissatisfaction and another third remained neutral.
Mathieu Carpentier, a constitutional law expert at Toulouse Capitole University, dismissed the notion that Le Pen was a victim of “judicial warfare.” He stated that the evidence against her was substantial and that her sentence was consistent with those imposed on an increasing number of convicted politicians who have faced immediate bans under stricter anti-corruption laws enacted in 2016.
Carpentier emphasized that France’s independent judicial system, along with its comprehensive appeals process, serves as a safeguard against unjust rulings.
Carpentier emphasized that France’s autonomous judicial system, coupled with its strong appeals process, serves as a protection against unjust rulings.
Nevertheless, he noted that the country is no longer shielded from political assaults on its judiciary.
“It is evident that something is beginning to decay in France,” Carpentier remarked. “We are increasingly inclined to believe that any judicial decision we disagree with is inherently politically driven.”
He cited the death threats issued prior to Monday’s ruling against the prosecutors in Le Pen’s case, as well as against one of the judges, as indicators of a troubling civic atmosphere in France. These threats persisted following Judge Benedicte de Perthuis’s ruling, with her image circulated on X and various far-right platforms.
“Benedicte de Perthuis is the ugly leftist witch who banned Le Pen from running for office,” one user commented on X, among numerous similar posts.
Le Pen, Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin, and the High Council for the Judiciary all condemned these threats. The Paris police confirmed that an investigation is underway and directed inquiries to the Paris prosecutor’s office, which has not yet responded.
PURE LAWFARE
Bolsonaro referred to the ruling against Le Pen as “pure lawfare,” stating, “This movement is gaining traction globally. The left has discovered a convenient method to maintain its grip on power through judicial activism.”
U.S. President Donald Trump also connected the Le Pen ruling to his own legal challenges.
“She was barred from running for five years, yet she remains the leading candidate,” he remarked. “That sounds quite similar to what we have here.”
Unlike Le Pen, Trump was never prohibited from seeking office. However, he was convicted last year for falsifying documents related to hush money payments made to silence a porn star before the 2016 election. He has characterized that case, along with his other legal troubles, as a leftist witch-hunt.
Vice President JD Vance and Trump’s supporter Elon Musk have also leveled accusations of lawfare against various European countries, including Romania’s highest court, which barred far-right politician Calin Georgescu from running for president.
“You cannot secure a democratic mandate by silencing your opponents or imprisoning them,” Vance stated during a February address at the Munich Security Conference. “I believe that undermining elections or excluding individuals from the political arena does not safeguard anything. In fact, it is the most certain way to dismantle democracy.”
While Le Pen expressed her outrage over her sentence, she has committed to pursuing legal avenues to reopen her path to the 2027 election, emphasizing her dedication to adhering to the principles of France’s Fifth Republic.
Her protégé, 29-year-old party president Jordan Bardella, who is now the RN’s unofficial candidate for the 2027 election, urged the French public on Tuesday to unite in support of Le Pen, promising that their actions would be “democratic, peaceful, and calm.”
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