France's Far Right Calls for Paris Rally After Le Pen Barred from Public Office
French far-right figure Jordan Bardella has urged supporters to rally in central Paris on Sunday to protest a court ruling that bans Marine Le Pen from holding public office for five years.
Marine Le Pen’s aspirations to run for the French presidency in 2027 have taken a major hit after a court ruling found her guilty of embezzling €2.9 million in EU funds between 2004 and 2016. The verdict, handed down on Monday, bans her from holding public office for five years and includes a four-year prison sentence—two of which are suspended—as well as a €100,000 fine.
In response, Jordan Bardella, president of the far-right National Rally (RN) party, has called for a mass demonstration in Paris this Sunday. "We'll take to the streets this weekend," Bardella announced during a Tuesday press conference, urging for "democratic, peaceful, calm mobilisations" starting with a rally at Place Vauban, near the Eiffel Tower.
Bardella condemned the ruling as an attack on French democracy and described it as part of a broader effort to block RN from reaching power. He accused the judiciary of operating under a "tyranny" and trying to suppress political opposition. Le Pen, sitting beside him, likened the verdict to a "nuclear bomb" aimed at derailing RN's momentum. She claimed the political system had deployed a "powerful weapon" against the party because “we are about to win the elections.”
“We won’t let them get away with it,” Le Pen vowed. “We will hold on until the end, until victory.”
The Paris Court of Appeal announced it plans to rule on Le Pen's appeal by the summer of 2026, several months before the next presidential election. Until the appeals process is complete, the verdict and penalties remain unenforced.
Despite Le Pen’s legal setback, the party has not officially named a replacement candidate. Bardella, 29, is seen by many within the party as the likely successor, though he has avoided confirming whether he would step in. RN spokesperson Laurent Jacobelli called Bardella the “most naturally legitimate” alternative. A recent poll conducted before the ruling showed that 60% of RN voters would support Bardella over Le Pen if he ran for president, with Bardella potentially securing up to 36% of the national vote.
The verdict has sparked backlash from Le Pen’s allies across Europe and beyond. Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban and former U.S. President Donald Trump criticized the ruling, with Trump calling it a “very big deal.” Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni added that “no-one who cares about democracy can rejoice at a sentence that... deprives millions of citizens of representation.”
The case has also led to heightened security concerns. Following reports of threats, Judge Bénédicte de Perthuis, who presided over Le Pen’s case, has been placed under protection, according to police sources cited by Le Figaro. Both Bardella and Le Pen have denounced threats made against the judges, calling such actions “unacceptable.”
As the legal battle continues, Le Pen has vowed not to be sidelined, saying she will not “let herself be eliminated like this.” Whether she will return as a candidate remains uncertain—but for now, France’s far right is preparing to make its voice heard in the streets.
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