The shocking and historic news that Marine Le Pen, parliamentary leader of the National Rally party, will be banned from the French presidential race has crashed on Europe like a tidal wave. Polling just the day before her conviction showed her as the frontrunner in the race. Now, politicians across Europe are reacting to the news, with even rivals of Le Pen and those on the left of the political spectrum responding with aghast at the move.

(Article republished from RMX.news)

The sentence for Le Pen, along with eight MEPs from her party, bars her from running in elections for five years. She was also sentenced to four years in prison for misusing EU funds, including two years which will be spent in an ankle monitor under house arrest.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, an ally of Le Pen’s, took to X to write that he stands with Le Pen in French.

Je suis Marine! @MLP_officiel

— Orbán Viktor (@PM_ViktorOrban) March 31, 2025

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister of Italy Matteo Salvini said the ruling was a “declaration of war by Brussels.”

???? With the barring of frontrunner @MLP_officiel from the French presidential elections, Brussels has “declared war” on conservatives, says Italian Deputy PM @matteosalvinimi. pic.twitter.com/5VTEdOs86t

— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) March 31, 2025

However, even political rivals of Le Pen came to her defense, with the leader of the Republicans parliamentary group, Laurent Wauquiez, stating: “It is not healthy that in a democracy, an elected official is prohibited from standing in an election, and I believe that political debates should be decided at the ballot box.”

The far-left leader of France Unbowed (LFI), Jean-Luc Melenchon, stated: “The decision to remove an elected official should be up to the people.”

Outside of France, Greek MEP Yanis Varoufakis, who heads his own political party, said the ruling was “nuts.” He said that “lawfare is wrong whomever it targets. And it is stupid to boot. France’s neofascists will only benefit from this, just as the MAGA lot did. A panicking illiberal establishment across the West is diving headlong into a totalitarian pit.”

This is nuts. Lawfare is wrong whomever it targets. And it is stupid to boot. France’s neofascists will only benefit from this, just as the MAGA lot did. A panicking illiberal establishment across the West is diving headlong into a totalitarian pit https://t.co/nglnsAaxQS

— Yanis Varoufakis (@yanisvaroufakis) March 31, 2025

Tensions are also sure to soar with the Trump administration, with Elon Musk writing that “this will backfire like the legal attacks against President Trump.”

This will backfire, like the legal attacks against President Trump

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 31, 2025

The ruling can still be appealed; however, Le Pen’s ban from politics is effective immediately and will remain in place the entire time. Furthermore, her appeal could last over a year, which is long enough to severely damage her ability to wage an effective campaign even if she does win in the Constitutional Court.

BREAKING:

Today marks the day democracy died in France.

A judge ruled Marine Le Pen is ineligible to run for president in 2027.

She is the frontrunner.

8 MEPs from her party are also barred from participating in elections.

Judges are now deciding elections across the EU. pic.twitter.com/HHuMv8hsja

— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) March 31, 2025

Read more at: RMX.news