Marine Le Pen Denounces “Political” Conviction, Vows to Continue Fighting

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen has condemned her recent conviction as a “political decision” and vowed to continue her political career, despite being found guilty of embezzlement and banned from holding public office, a penalty that includes the 2027 presidential election, Al Jazeera reports.

“I won’t give up,” Le Pen declared to flag-waving supporters gathered in Paris’s Place Vauban.

She also denounced what she termed a “witch-hunt” against her National Rally party, echoing a phrase used by US President Donald Trump.

Meanwhile, leftist groups and centrist factions staged counter-demonstrations in Paris’s Place de Republique, calling for justice and a unified front against the far-right National Rally. Reports indicate that the judges involved in Le Pen’s conviction have received threats.

Jordan Bardella, Le Pen’s top aide and head of the National Rally, addressed the crowd, asserting that the court ruling aimed to “eliminate her from the presidential race.” While Bardella emphasized that the party did not intend to “discredit all judges,” he described Le Pen’s conviction as “a direct attack on democracy and a wound to millions of patriotic French people.”

The judgment, which threatens to derail Le Pen’s long-held ambition of winning the French presidency in 2027, has reverberated throughout the country’s political establishment. Former US President Donald Trump has characterized Le Pen’s ban as a “witch-hunt” perpetrated by “European leftists using lawfare to silence free speech and censor their political opponent.”

Le Pen was found guilty of embezzling European Parliament funds, resulting in a partly suspended jail term and an immediate ban from holding public office.

Her supporters have decried the ruling as politically motivated, but French President Emmanuel Macron has asserted the independence of the French judiciary.

Le Pen has been working to transform her party into a mainstream political force and distance it from the legacy of her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, a co-founder of the party who was frequently accused of racism.

A recent poll by Elabe for broadcaster BFMTV, released on Saturday, suggested that Le Pen could garner up to 36 percent of the vote in a presidential election.