Le Pen's Legal Battle Escalates as Protests and Counter-Protests Divide France

Marine Le Pen appeals her conviction and political ban while rallies in Paris highlight deepening national divisions over the ruling.

Marine Le Pen was convicted of embezzling €4.6 million in EU funds, sentenced to four years in prison (two suspended), and banned from public office for five years, effective immediately.
Le Pen has framed her conviction as a politically motivated attack and is appealing the ruling in French and European courts, with a decision expected by summer 2026.
Protests organized by Le Pen’s party in Paris drew fewer supporters than claimed, while counter-protests by left-wing groups saw higher turnout, emphasizing stark political divides.
Le Pen compared her legal struggle to Martin Luther King’s civil rights fight, calling it a defense of democracy and promising a peaceful campaign to overturn the ruling.
French officials criticized international figures like Donald Trump and Viktor Orbán for supporting Le Pen, labeling such endorsements as interference in France’s judicial process.