Since her conviction on Monday, international media and social platforms have been dominated by the case of French right-wing leader Marine Le Pen. She and her party, National Rally (RN)—currently polling far ahead of any other political force in France—have announced a massive rally for Sunday to protest the verdict, which many have described as politically motivated. On Friday US President Donald Trump publicly called on France to release Le Pen, using his Truth Social platform to issue a strong rebuke.

‘The Witch Hunt against Marine Le Pen is another example of European Leftists using Lawfare to silence Free Speech, and censor their Political Opponent, this time going so far as to put that Opponent in prison,’ Trump wrote. He compared Le Pen’s case to his own legal battles during the 2024 presidential campaign, stating: ‘They spent the last nine years thinking of nothing else, and they FAILED, because the People of the United States realized that they were only Corrupt Lawyers and Politicians.’

Trump went on to praise Le Pen for her dedication and political stamina, suggesting that her hard work might have led to a ‘big victory’—had it not been diminished by the court ruling. Downplaying the severity of the charges, he remarked that it ‘sounds like a bookkeeping error’, before concluding: ‘It is all so bad for France, and the Great French People, no matter what side they are on. FREE MARINE LE PEN!’

Suspiciously Timed Constitutional Ruling

As previously reported by Hungarian Conservative, Le Pen was convicted on Monday for allegedly embezzling European Parliament funds. The charges claim that between 2004 and 2016 Le Pen and several MEPs from her party used EU funds intended for parliamentary assistants to instead support party-related work. The first-instance ruling handed her a four-year prison sentence (with two years suspended), a €100,000 fine, and a five-year ban from running for public office. Most controversially, the ban took effect immediately—rendering her ineligible to run for the French presidency, a highly unusual and suspiciously timed move.

While debates continue over the strength of the evidence, whether it was compromised, or even fabricated, the broader context of the ruling reveals a deeply concerning picture—one that, unsurprisingly, leads back to French President Emmanuel Macron.

On 28 March, just three days before Le Pen’s conviction, the French Constitutional Council ruled that politicians can be barred from holding office immediately after conviction, even while appeals are pending. This ruling paved the way for Le Pen’s immediate disqualification. In its reasoning, the Council argued that the measure was proportionate and served constitutional objectives such as safeguarding public order and ensuring the integrity of public office. It claimed that this approach does not infringe upon constitutional rights, including the presumption of innocence during the appeals process.

This in itself raises significant questions about the political neutrality of France’s top constitutional body. And digging deeper only strengthens the suspicion that this was a politically compromised decision.

Macron’s Controversial Crony

In February 2025 Richard Ferrand was appointed president of the Constitutional Council. Ferrand is not just a long-time political ally of Emmanuel Macron—he was one of his earliest and most important supporters when Macron launched his presidential bid in 2016.

Ferrand played a significant role in the creation of La République En Marche (LREM) and was instrumental in pushing through Macron’s legislative agenda. He also briefly served as Minister for Territorial Cohesion—for just one month (!)—from May to June 2017. That all in itself should disqualify him from presiding over a body that has the authority to decide whether opposition politicians can run for office.

‘While cleared on procedural grounds, Ferrand was never declared innocent’

And yet, that is not the full story. Ferrand himself has faced legal controversy. In 2017 media reports revealed that, in his role as director-general of Mutuelles de Bretagne, a Brest-based mutual insurance organization, he arranged for the insurer to rent office space from a company owned by his partner, Sandrine Doucen—raising serious concerns about a potential conflict of interest.

Although prosecutors initially closed the case citing insufficient evidence, the investigation was reopened in 2019, and Ferrand was formally placed under investigation for financial misconduct. In 2022 however, the Court of Cassation invoked the statute of limitations, effectively ending the proceedings without addressing the merits of the case. While cleared on procedural grounds, Ferrand was never declared innocent.

French People Deserve a Fair Trial

So Richard Ferrand—who currently leads a highly influential and potentially politically compromised institution—was himself allegedly involved in the misuse of public funds, and was never declared innocent. This raises serious ethical concerns about the Constitutional Council, its rulings, and the broader political establishment in France.

The pattern bears a striking resemblance to the legal onslaught faced by Donald Trump during the 2024 presidential campaign, where Democrat-aligned prosecutors and attorneys weaponized the judiciary to obstruct a political opponent. Yet even they did not go as far as to create legal precedent just three days before the most consequential trial for their nation’s future.

According to polls conducted immediately after the verdict, as many as 42 per cent of respondents believe the trial was politically motivated—demonstrating that this perception is far from being merely a partisan viewpoint.

It is, therefore, entirely understandable that patriotic, national forces—those who serve the interests of their people rather than an unaccountable and opaque establishment—are condemning the conviction and calling for at least the reversal of the ban preventing Le Pen from running. Alongside Trump, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Dutch right-wing leader Geert Wilders, Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, and many others have expressed their solidarity with Marine Le Pen and their demand for a fair trial and a fair verdict.

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