Ruling on a bomb on Marine Le Pen

Digest opened free editor

Rola Khaleda, FT editor, chooses her favorite stories in this weekly newsletter.

The judges’ condemnation of being very soft on criminals is an essential element to combat the Foundation for right -wing politicians in France. On Monday, they needed a different line of the attack. A criminal court in Paris imposed the most severe sentence on its leader, Marine Le Pen, for the embezzlement of the European Union’s money. Luban was sentenced to two years in prison – or at least wearing an electronic mark – with two others, was fined 100,000 euros and prevented from running for position Five years. Although it will resume, the ban is a threat to Le Pen’s nomination of the 2027 presidential elections – which would have become her fourth attempt for the Easieh Palace, and perhaps the most balanced.

LobThe referee’s allies attacked the difficult judges as a prudent judiciary. The court did not condemn the “unjustly” leader of the National Armament Party, but also “executed” French democracy, which was installed by Jordan’s deputy, Bartella. Collections of populist leaders throughout Europe are scattered. The Kremlin was anxious about the erosion of democratic standards. More importantly, some Le Pen’s political opponents in France condemned the court to deny voters the right to choose.

Nevertheless, the court was doing its work to support the rules of behavior in the elected position. The European Union and the French authorities have begun investigating embezzlement calls by RN officials a decade ago. General prosecutors collected many evidence that nine former legislators and their assistants have abused more than 4 mm in the European Parliament’s funds for French political activities. Le Pen played a major role in 2009 fraud, I found the court. Politicians from the Central Modem Party were previously condemned for similar crimes.

The question is whether Le Pen’s prevented from future elections, even while its appeal is suspended, is a fair punishment. It was not automatic. He noted the issuance of the court ruling, and the president of Judge Benedic de Breithois indicated that the sentence should be proportional. Looking at the role of Le Pen in fraud in distorting electoral policy in favor of her party, the judge concluded that he was so. She also legally argued that she would undermine the rule of law if Le Pen can escape the punishment by winning the presidency, and after that the courts will be hesitant to support the prison sentence. In essence, the court decided that the rights of all French voters in the unending elections surpassed the right of a sub -group to vote for a specific candidate.

However, political repercussions Loop Penning It can be long -term. Certainly, it mimics Donald Trump in photographing herself as a conspiracy victim of the Foundation, in the hope of shooting at its supporters and defeating other voters, tired with President Emmanuel Macron and the main parties. The Trump administration may distort France due to the reduction of democratic rights, as much as Romania did to exclude a right -wing presidential presidential candidate. However, unlike the Roman case, the Le Pen Court is convicted.

Le Pen may seek revenge by overthrowing the minority government led by the center Francois Bayro. As the leader of the modem, he was acquitted of the involvement of the EP financing scandal for his party, but the prosecutors appeal this decision. Even if the legal appeals fail in Le Pen, RN may grow yet under Bardela. Communicator Slick lacks the Le Pen experience but also recorded it in the presidential campaign failures.

The exclusion of Le Pen will make the French policy more combustible. But it is not the court’s function to make political decisions in both cases. His accusation of doing this indicates the extent to which respect for the rule of law as a basic principle of democracy throughout the West.