"It was like a nuclear bomb launched by the system." Marine Le Pen has unleashed all her rhetorical artillery against the judiciary in response to the embezzlement conviction that virtually sidelines her for the 2027 presidential elections and threatens to cause a political tsunami in France.
"And if they have used that powerful weapon, it is because we were about to win the elections," added the leader of National Rally (RN) in a tone even more combative than the one displayed the day before in the TF1 interview, watched by eight million viewers. "We will not allow that to happen, we will not allow the French presidential elections to be stolen."
"The interference of the magistrates is a disturbance of public order", added Le Pen, ready to continue fighting and rallying her troops as if she were in the midst of an electoral campaign. "Do not be intimidated (...) We will be here until victory."
The Paris Court of Appeals confirmed late on Tuesday that it had received three appeals against the sentence and reported that it would examine the case within a timeframe that should allow a decision to be made in the summer of 2026, months before the 2027 presidential elections. The statement thus leaves open the possibility that the leader of the National Rally could present herself as a candidate in time if she manages to overturn the sentence within the estimated period.
Le Pen's renewed attacks, who the day before had criticized the "motivations" of Judge Bénédicte de Perthuis, coincided with a cascade of threats and personal attacks reported by the French High Council of the Judiciary.
"Justice is not political, and this has not been a political decision but a judicial one, made by three independent and impartial judges," was the direct intervention of the Attorney General of the Court of Cassation, Rémy Heitz, who described the "very personalized attacks against the magistrates" as "unacceptable" and warned that the threats "could lead to criminal proceedings."
The Brigade for the Repression of Attacks on Individuals (BRDP, in French) has decided to open a police investigation into the threats received by the judges of the Paris Criminal Court, according to judicial sources informed AFP.
The first invective had been launched hours earlier by RN President Jordan Bardella, criticizing "the tyranny of the judges" and "the denial of the rule of law," in statements to the Europe 1 channel. Bardella took the opportunity to call for "popular and peaceful" demonstrations in support of Le Pen throughout France over the weekend.
"They are doing everything possible to prevent us from coming to power," warned Le Pen's natural successor. "Is this democracy? In France, the country of human rights, the first TNT channel was shut down in a few days, the opposition leader was prevented from running for the presidential elections (without the possibility of appealing the decision), and the imprisonment of a former President of the Republic (Nicolas Sarkozy) was demanded."
The young RN president, 29 years old, described the sentence against his political mentor as "a disproportionate decision because it does not comply with the jurisprudence of the Constitutional Council." The sentence has triggered a wave of verbal attacks on social media against the judiciary, although Bardella tried to distance himself just enough. "Threats, insults, and slander against judges or magistrates are unacceptable, and we condemn them."
On Tuesday afternoon, during a heated session in the National Assembly, Prime Minister François Bayrou offered his "unconditional support" to the judges, against "the attacks on our rule of law launched from the Kremlin, from the White House, and by Le Pen's friends."
The centrist Bayrou warned that the government has no right to interfere in a judicial process but, "as a private citizen," admitted to having doubts about "the nature of the immediate ban on holding public office." Bayrou actually invited the deputies to "reflect" on the controversial use of "provisional execution" and what it means for "serious decisions not subject to appeal".
The "provisional execution" of the disqualification from public office for five years has been precisely the guillotine for Le Pen, forced to comply immediately with the sentence even though she has filed an appeal. The RN leader was also sentenced to four years in prison, reduced to two, and a fine of 100,000 euros for embezzlement of European Parliament funds.
The Minister of Justice, Gérald Darmanin, intervened in the controversy and stated that he hopes Le Pen's appeal can be processed "within a reasonable period of time." However, legal experts estimate that the appeal process would last at least a year, which would interfere with the preparations for the presidential elections.
Trump shows solidarity with Le Pen
From across the Atlantic, echoing his advisor Elon Musk, Donald Trump joined the criticism of the sentence against Le Pen and drew a parallel with his own legal issues: "This reminds me a lot of what happened in our country." Trump highlighted the fact that Le Pen "is not allowed to run as a candidate for five years despite leading (in the polls)," said the U.S. president. "It is a very important matter," he said.
At the time of the sentence, Marine Le Pen was a clear favorite for the 2027 presidential elections, with 37% of the preferences in the first round. Her number two, Jordan Bardella, is very close in voting intention (36%) compared to possible rivals, according to a survey by Toluna Harris Interactive for RTL. According to another survey by Elabe for BFM TV, 57% of the French believe that the sentence against Le Pen is "normal," while 42% believe it has a "political bias."