Marine Le Pen takes aim at the judiciary

by Laurent Geslin

Just hours after being sentenced to five years of ineligibility with immediate effect, Marine Le Pen once again denounced what she called a “political decision” during a televised address last night.

“The rule of law has been violated,” she declared. "Tonight, millions of French citizens are outraged to see judges employing practices that some thought were reserved for authoritarian regimes."

Le Pen announced that she would appeal Monday’s court ruling, insisting on her "innocence," but she did not specify how or by whom the alleged plot against her could have been orchestrated.

“A certain number of magistrates do not need instructions" to try to prevent her from taking office as President of France, she added. "From the very first hours [of the trial], I understood that we would be judged unfairly.”

Since the prosecution’s closing arguments last autumn, leaders of the far-right party have made a point of attacking France’s judicial system.

The party’s president, Jordan Bardella, launched a petition yesterday afternoon in support of Marine Le Pen and, more notably, called for "peaceful popular mobilisation.” However, he has yet to clarify whether protests will be organised in the coming days.

In a rare statement, the High Council of the Judiciary (CSM), which ensures judicial independence, condemned the "virulent" reactions, warning that they “seriously undermine the independence of the judiciary, a cornerstone of the rule of law.”

Meanwhile, Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin deemed the threats against magistrates "unacceptable in a democracy." Last November, Darmanin himself had weighed in on the legal proceedings, saying it would be "deeply shocking" if Marine Le Pen were declared ineligible.

*first published in euractiv.com