“It started in Italy, continued in Slovenia in 2014, then in Macedonia, Poland and Romania. And now in France. Quo vadis, EU?” said Janez Janša in response to the prosecution of French politician Marine Le Pen. According to the latest information, Le Pen has been sentenced to four years in prison, two of which she will serve under house arrest with an ankle bracelet. She is also banned from standing as a candidate in the 2027 presidential elections (a five-year ban on standing for political office) and has been fined 100,000 euros. According to the ruling, the ban will enter into force immediately, even in the event of an appeal.
French politician Marine Le Pen was found guilty of misusing EU funds for the fictitious recruitment of assistants for MEPs for the National Front party. We first reported that she had not yet been sentenced by the court, but the prosecutor’s office requested a financial penalty, a prison sentence and a ban on running for political office, which could prevent her from standing for the presidency in 2027, the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) reports. The latest information, however, is that she will be sentenced to four years in prison, two of which she will serve under house arrest with an ankle bracelet. She is also banned from standing as a candidate in the 2027 presidential elections.
She has been banned from running for political office for five years. She was also fined 100 thousand euros. According to the judgment, the ban will enter into force immediately, even in the event of an appeal. Along with Le Pen, nine other former Members of European Parliament and twelve assistants were also convicted in court of embezzling stolen funds, causing damage amounting to 2.9 million euros. If Le Pen is punished with a ban on running for office, the party’s current leader, Jordan Bardella, could run for the presidency.
Janez Janša: The conviction undermines democracy
One of the first to react to the verdict was the leader of the Slovenian opposition, Janez Janša, who wrote on the X network that he is strongly opposed to the abuse of the judiciary against political rivals, even if they are not from the same political camp. In his view, this not only casts a bad light on the rule of law, but directly undermines the very essence of democracy. “It started in Italy, continued in Slovenia in 2014, then in Macedonia, Poland and Romania. And now in France. Quo vadis, EU?” he also wrote.
Wilders: Le Pen will succeed in her appeal and become President of France
Many foreign politicians have already commented on the case, for example, the Dutch conservative politician (leader of the Party for Freedom) Geert Wilders, who wrote that he was shocked by the incredibly harsh verdict. He is convinced that Le Pen will succeed in her appeal and that she will become the President of France.
Domen Mezeg
