Zürcher Nachrichten - Far-right leaders rally around France's Le Pen after poll ban

Le Pen was convicted over a scheme to take advantage of European Parliament expenses to employ assistants who were actually working for her far-right party in France.

Le Pen as well as the other officials from her party were banned from running for office, with the judge specifying that the sanction should come into force with immediate effect even if an appeal is lodged.

Trump compared Le Pen's conviction to his own US legal battles, telling reporters Monday: "She was banned from running for five years and she was the leading candidate. That sounds like this country."

Tesla's billionaire owner Elon Musk, who has backed a far-right party in Germany and plays a major role in Trump's administration, said the move would "backfire, like the legal attacks against President Trump".

"Je suis Marine!" ("I'm Marine") Hungarian nationalist leader Viktor Orban posted in French on X, echoing the cry "Je suis Charlie" widely used to denounce a 2015 Islamist attack on the Charlie Hebdo satirical newspaper in Paris.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the verdict reinforced the view that "more and more European capitals are going down the path of violating democratic norms".

Former Brazilian leader Jair Bolsonaro, himself barred from office, said he hoped Le Pen would "overcome this persecution and be able to contest the next presidential elections" in 2027.

On Monday, Le Pen received a four-year prison sentence for embezzling European parliament funds. Her lawyer said she will appeal.

Le Pen will not serve time in prison. Two years of her sentence was suspended and the other two are to be served outside jail with an electronic bracelet, the court ruled.

Jordan Bardella, leader of Le Pen's National Rally (RN) party, said on X that French democracy was being "executed".

- 'About politics' -

Dutch far-right politician Geert Wilders also voiced shock at "the incredibly tough verdict".

"I support and believe in her for the full 100 percent and I trust she will win the appeal and become President of France," Wilders posted on X.

Spain's far-right Vox leader Santiago Abascal also offered his support, saying: "They will never succeed to silence the voice of the French people".

Abascal hosted Le Pen, Orban and other far-right leaders in Madrid in February.

Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik said on X that "just like in my case, the verdict was not about the law -- it was about politics".

Dodik was convicted in February for defying the international envoy tasked with overseeing the peace accords that ended Bosnia's civil war in the 1990s.

Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) declined to comment when contacted by AFP.

Le Pen's National Rally has distanced itself from the AfD after the German party was caught up in several controversies, including accusations of illicit ties to Russia and China.

- 'Bad film... like Romania' -

Italy's deputy prime minister and leader of the League party, Matteo Salvini, called the court's ruling a "declaration of war by Brussels".

"A bad film that we are also seeing in other countries like Romania," wrote Salvini on social media.

"We don't let ourselves be intimidated, we don't stop: full speed ahead my friend!"

Far-right Romanian politician George Simion, who is running for president, said: "Targeting or annihilating your political opponent by any means is straight out of the instruction manual of totalitarian regimes".

Romania's electoral bureau in early March rejected the candidacy of far-right politician Calin Georgescu for a re-run of presidential elections in May.

The fierce EU and NATO critic shot to prominence in November, when he unexpectedly topped a first round of presidential voting before the constitutional court annulled the election after claims of Russian interference and a "massive" social media promotion.

Georgescu, who denies any links to Moscow, has slammed the vote annulment as a "formalised coup d'etat".

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F.E.Ackermann--NZN