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Thousands of supporters of France's far-right National Rally party gathered in Paris today to protest a court ruling barring their leader, Marine Le Pen, from running in the 2027 presidential election. Last week, Le Pen was convicted of embezzling millions of dollars in EU funds and using that money to finance her political party. A French judge banned her from public office for five years. NPR's Rebecca Rosman reports.
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MARINE LE PEN: (Speaking French).
REBECCA ROSMAN, BYLINE: Standing defiantly in front of the Place Vauban, the newly convicted presidential hopeful, Marine Le Pen, had a clear message for her supporters.
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LE PEN: (Speaking French).
ROSMAN: "I'm not giving up," Le Pen shouted.
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UNIDENTIFIED CROWD: (Chanting) Marine presidente. Marine presidente. Marine presidente.
ROSMAN: In return, the crowd - estimated by police at 7,000 - roared back in applause that turned into chants of - Marine presidente.
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UNIDENTIFIED CROWD: (Chanting) Marine presidente. Marine presidente.
ROSMAN: Le Pen is a three-time presidential candidate. At the rally, she accused the Paris court of making a political decision, not a judicial one. Her supporters, like 18-year-old Julian Rault, are enraged. He insists the ruling is not just about her but about the future of France's democracy.
JULIAN RAULT: The favorite candidates at the presidential election is actually banned from the election, and I think it's not good. It's not equal to everyone.
ROSMAN: Le Pen's allies, such as 29-year-old Jordan Bardella, her protege as well as the president of her National Rally party, have framed the court ruling as part of a larger political agenda, an attempt to silence their movement. Given the ruling, people are talking about Bardella to replace Le Pen, though his youth and lack of high-level political experience have raised doubts among some. Still, a new survey published on Sunday showed that in a hypothetical first-round vote, Le Pen or Bardella would each score around 32- to 36%, well ahead of potential rivals. Some analysts have suggested that Le Pen's conviction has only boosted her movement by turning her into a victim. But not so fast, says Pierre Moreau Chevrolet, who teaches at Sciences Po University.
PIERRE MOREAU CHEVROLET: The vast majority of the French people is rejecting that position of the Rassemblement National as the victim because they believe - they firmly believe, and they have been thinking that for a long period of time now, that politicians should be held accountable whenever they do wrong.
ROSMAN: Patrick Maher is in his early 70s. He tells me he came to watch Le Pen's speech out of curiosity and out of fear.
PATRICK MAHER: (Speaking French).
ROSMAN: "The extreme right seems to be popping up again everywhere," he says. It reminds him of a part of history he thought had been left behind. Rebecca Rosman, NPR News, Paris.
(SOUNDBITE OF BUN B AND STATIK SELEKTAH SONG, "STILL TRILL") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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