This is an election ban and legal issue against the French far-right Le Pen
PARIS (AP) – France’s far-right leader Marine Le Pen condemned the “Democratic scandal” and the court ruled that she was barred from seeking embezzlement of EU funds. The Paris court said it would be undemocratic to allow convicted officials to run for president.
Monday’s decision took effect immediately and is likely to participate in France’s next presidential election in 2027. She said she would appeal, but there is no guarantee that other courts would make a more favorable decision that it could take several years to draw conclusions.
The ruling echoed outside France, with some political parties including Le Pen (including Le Pen’s) gaining foundations in recent years, rippling the far-right circles throughout Europe.
Le Pen is not the first high-profile politician in France to be sentenced to fail. This is the judicial system, and it is the motivation for the court to make rulings and previous rulings.
How the court proves its ruling
The three judges’ panel said in a written statement that they considered the presidency of the convicted person to be “a major destruction of democratic public order.”
The judge said the ruling was intended to ensure that “like all others, elected officials do not benefit from preferential treatment, rather than political life that is compatible with trust citizens.”
They said their decisions were “in proportional to the constitutional goal of maintaining public order.”
In France, judges are unelected independent magistrates. By the Constitution, they cannot be removed from their posts.
Le Pen’s response
“The (judicial) system brings nuclear bombs,” Le Pen said in the National Assembly. “If it uses such a powerful weapon against us, it’s obviously because we will win the election.”
Le Pen condemned the ruling as a “democratic scandal, it’s shameful that it has stained our country.”
She said she hopes to make an appeal decision before the presidential election.
Le Pen himself once strongly condemned the judicial scandal involving mainstream politicians who have influenced the mainstream, calling for a ban on seeking jobs for convicted embezzlement.
In a 2013 video interview on French social media, she could say: “We need to introduce lifelong qualifications to everyone convicted of their authorization or mandate.”
Previous cases
Three months before France’s 2017 presidential election, the scandal ruined the chances of Conservative Prime Minister Francois Fillon’s victory. He later obtained a 10-year office seeking ban in a fraud trial.
Another former Conservative Prime Minister, Alain Juppé, was banned for 10 years in 2004 in a corruption case. The Court of Appeal lowered the injunction to one year. Jappe made a comeback later.
Socialist Budget Minister Jérôme Cahuzac received a five-year ban in 2018 after admitting he was evading taxes.
Le Pen’s father, the late Jean-Marie Le Pen, was sentenced to a one-year ban for committing violence against socialist rivals during the 1997 parliamentary campaign.
Last week, French prosecutors demanded a seven-year prison sentence and five-year qualification for former President Nicolas Sarkozy because his charges were illegally funded by the government of former Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi.
Constitutional ruling
Last week, the Constitutional Commission ruled that the time when it came into effect was consistent with the Constitution.
But it stressed the need to assess the consequences of imposing such a ban immediately and ensure that the ruling is “commendative” and takes into account the consequences of “preserving voter freedoms”.
The Constitutional Council ruled in another case that there was no direct connection to Le Pen. However, its conclusions have been reviewed for legal guidance, so that the judge may consider them.
On Tuesday, Le Pen suggested that she ask the Constitutional Council to make a decision in its case.
