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On Monday, a Parisian court convicted Marine Le Pen of embezzling European Parliament funds by employing fictitious assistants for party members. She was sentenced to a five-year ban from running for public office, effective immediately, as well as to four years in prison, including two years suspended and the other two to be served with an electronic bracelet outside of jail.
"We will keep running and defending the voice of millions of French citizens. Right now, the fight is to ensure Marine Le Pen’s right to run in the presidential election. She remains our candidate as long as there is even a glimmer of hope. She is a fighter, and she’s confident she will win this battle," Mariani said.
He argued that the ruling raised questions about the motivations behind the legal proceedings and the broader implications for democracy in France.
"If Marine is barred from running, it will mean that France has crossed into an anti-democratic regime," the lawmaker stressed.
Mariani insisted that Le Pen's case was weaponized by her political opponents to undermine her candidacy.
"This is a politically motivated conviction! Originating from an administrative disagreement with the European Parliament, this case has been weaponized by our political opponents, who accuse Marine Le Pen of employing parliamentary assistants to do political work... which is precisely what they are supposed to do!" Mariani said.
According to him, the timing of the ruling could be seen as an effort to sideline Le Pen and her party at the next presidential election.
"And after ten years of waiting to be judged, the conviction conveniently comes just ahead of a crucial presidential election for France in 2027," he pointed out.
According to the RN lawmaker, Le Pen remains resolute in her commitment to "fight to the end" as legal avenues are still open, with an appeal expected in spring 2026.
The National Rally recognizes that the battle has extended beyond the courtroom, Mariani said. He said the party needed to continue mobilizing its voter base and ensuring that their voices are heard.
"The real battle is one of mobilization. Eleven million voters chose the National Rally in the last election. Their voices must be heard," Mariani concluded.
Le Pen said she would appeal the ban on public office with France's Constitutional Council and the European Court of Human Rights. She said she hoped the sentence would be overturned in time for the election.
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