“What Le Pen’s troubles mean for Europe’s rightward shift”
Marine Le Pen, leader of France’s National Rally and one of the country’s most prominent political figures, was convicted on March 31 by a Paris criminal court for embezzlement of public funds. The court imposed a five-year ban on her eligibility to run for public office. This development could significantly impact France’s political landscape ahead of the next presidential election, scheduled no later than April 2027, in which Le Pen was considered a leading contender.
The conviction relates to Le Pen’s tenure as a Member of the European Parliament from 2004 to 2017, during which she was found guilty of misusing funds by employing fictitious parliamentary assistants, including her sister. While the ruling focused on legal matters, its political implications have sparked considerable debate across France and abroad.
International responses were swift. A Kremlin spokesperson accused European governments of undermining democratic norms, while Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán expressed solidarity with Le Pen. Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister also criticized the ruling, calling it politically motivated. Former U.S. President Donald Trump weighed in, characterizing the conviction as a “big deal” and comparing the situation to political dynamics in the United States.
Within France, public opinion is sharply divided. Le Pen’s supporters view the ruling as an attempt to undermine the far-right movement and disenfranchise the more than 11 million voters who supported her in the last presidential election. Her party, National Rally, currently holds the second-largest bloc in the French National Assembly with 126 out of 577 seats following the 2023 elections. Conversely, others see the court’s decision as an affirmation of judicial independence and the principle that no one is above the law.
Le Pen has appealed the conviction, and if overturned by summer 2026, she could still be eligible to run in the next presidential election. In the meantime, she retains her seat as a Member of Parliament.
Jordan Bardella, whom Le Pen appointed as National Rally’s president in 2022, is widely regarded as her political heir. Popular among younger far-right voters, Bardella has positioned himself as a charismatic figure within the party. Some analysts suggest he could lead the National Rally to electoral victory and potentially appoint Le Pen as Prime Minister. Though speculation about internal rivalries exists, Bardella has consistently supported Le Pen in public.
Bardella, who does not hold a university degree and hails from the economically disadvantaged Paris suburb of Seine-Saint-Denis, is known for his strong views on immigration and cultural integration. He has frequently warned that mass immigration could threaten France’s national identity.
The long-term political impact of Le Pen’s conviction remains uncertain. While some observers believe it could galvanize support for the National Rally, others caution that electoral outcomes remain unpredictable with more than two years until the next vote.
Across Europe, far-right parties have gained momentum. Italy elected a far-right government led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in 2022, and Germany has seen significant gains for the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which performed well in regional elections in 2024. The AfD has faced calls for a ban, though no consensus has emerged. U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance met with AfD leader Alice Weidel during the Munich Security Conference, and figures such as Elon Musk have expressed interest in supporting the party financially.
France’s National Rally maintains ties with other far-right parties across Europe, including the Dutch Freedom Party, Austria’s Freedom Party, Belgium’s Flemish Interest, and Italy’s Northern League. Growing concerns about immigration, the economic effects of global instability, and geopolitical uncertainty have contributed to a political climate increasingly favorable to right-wing populist movements across the continent.
Should the current trends continue, Europe may see the consolidation of far-right influence in three of its major powers—Italy, France, and potentially Germany—a development with far-reaching consequences for the future of the European Union and its policy direction.
Source article originally posted here: https://www.hindustantimes.com/opinion/what-le-pen-s-troubles-mean-for-europe-s-rightward-shift-101744385001425.html
Follow DailyClout on Rumble! https://rumble.com/user/DailyClout
Donate to DailyClout: https://ko-fi.com/dailyclout
Please Support Our Sponsors
The Wellness Company: https://dailyclouthealth.com
Use code DAILYCLOUT for 10% off!
NativePath: “Top Doc Reveals: THIS Protein May Restore Bone Density and Fix Joint Pain…Visit https://getnativepath.com/DailyClout to Learn More”
Raw Paws: “Give your pets the power of raw nutrition—feed them raw…Visit https://dailycloutpets.com to learn more”
Order ‘The Pfizer Papers’ and Support Our Historic Work: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1648210376?&tag=skyhorsepub-20
Discover LegiSector! Stay up-to-date on issues you care about with LegiSector’s state-of-the-art summarizing capabilities and customizable portals. No researchers needed, no lobbyists, no spin. Legislation at your fingertips! Learn more at https://www.legisector.com/
Re the AFD party that VP Vances has praised . . . there seem to be some Nazis in the woodpile, and its leadership history.
From the ADL: Why is AfD of concern? Nazi slogans, Holocaust trivialization and more.
Björn Höcke, leader of the AfD party in the state of Thuringia, has twice been fined by a German court for using a banned Nazi slogan. The phrase, “Everything for Germany” (“Alles für Deutschland”) was a slogan of the Nazi stormtroopers and engraved on their daggers.
In a 2017 speech to the AfD youth wing, Höcke bemoaned German’s culture of remembrance of the Holocaust, saying, “We Germans, our people, are the only people in the world who planted a monument of shame in the middle of our national capital.” He called for Germany to stop atoning for Nazi crimes and make a “180-degree turn” in how it remembers its past.
Alexander Gauland, an AfD co-founder, former party leader, and current Member of Parliament, has engaged in Holocaust trivialization on several occasions. In a 2018 speech to the AfD youth wing, he said, “Hitler and the Nazis are just a speck of bird poop in more than 1,000 years of successful German history.” Gauland also said in 2017 that Germans should be “proud of the achievements of German soldiers in two world wars.”
https://www.adl.org/resources/backgrounder/alternative-germany-afd-party-what-you-need-know