Protests against verdict: Le Pen is fighting for political survival!

Protests against verdict: Le Pen is fighting for political survival!

The Rassemblement National (RN) party led by Marine Le Pen is in turmoil after the French politician was convicted on Monday of embezzling EU funds. Party leader Jordan Bardella announced protests for the coming weekend to demonstrate against the verdict, which was perceived as politically motivated. Le Pen himself described the verdict as a “devastating blow” for his political opponent and plans to appeal the judge’s ruling. “The French should be outraged by this decision,” stressed Bardella, criticizing the independent judges who made the ruling.

Le Pen, who was sentenced to four years in prison, must spend two years in prison while the other two years will be spent under house arrest. She will also be fined 100,000 euros. However, this penalty will only take effect after the appeal process has been completed. Judge Bénédicte de Perthuis highlighted that Le Pen embezzled over four million euros in EU funds. In a recent poll, 57 percent of French people support the ruling, while 42 percent see it as politically biased. Prosecutor Rémy Heitz defended the verdict, but ventured to point out that there are concerns about threats against the judge, who is now under police protection.

Political context and reactions

The situation has also provoked international reactions. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini expressed their solidarity with Le Pen and sharply criticized the verdict. Le Pen's legal battle could also have a significant impact on her candidacy in the 2027 presidential election if the appeal process takes place before the election. The question of whether this is possible now remains with the appeal court.

Right-wing extremism is an issue of growing importance in Europe. The European security authorities also assess right-wing extremist violence and right-wing terrorism as a serious threat to democracy. According to reports from the Federal Agency for Civic Education, the security risks in EU countries vary, but the number of right-wing extremist attacks often exceeds the Islamist attacks in Europe. While the Dutch domestic intelligence service rated 2019 as the year with the most right-wing terrorist attacks, Germany saw a surge in terror suspects arrested in 2018, highlighting concerns about the threat of right-wing extremism.

Impact on society

These developments are particularly significant in the context of social tensions in Europe. Data from the Global Terrorism Database shows that EU countries are not among the countries most affected by terrorist attacks compared to other regions. Nevertheless, the potential for right-wing terrorist violence in countries like Germany is high compared to other European countries, especially after the number of right-wing terrorist incidents in democratic constitutional states increased threefold between 2013 and 2018. The radicalization of individuals is often facilitated by social media, which provides a platform for extremist ideas.

In view of current legal and political developments, Rassemblement National and its supporters are faced with a complex situation that not only affects direct party politics, but is also embedded in the broader context of European security and social policy. While an appeal process is pending, it remains to be seen what impact the coming protests and political reactions will have on the French political landscape.