Conviction of Marine Le Pen: Kremlin Outrage and International Reactions

The Paris Criminal Court’s decision to convict Marine Le Pen for embezzlement of public funds and declare her ineligible for office with immediate effect has sparked a wave of international reactions. The Kremlin condemned a “violation of democratic norms,” while several European political figures expressed their support for the French far-right leader.

The Kremlin Denounces an Attack on Democracy

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov lamented that “more and more European capitals are taking the path of violating democratic norms.” However, he tempered his remarks by stating that this conviction was an “internal matter for France,” while also noting that “political processes in Europe sometimes exceed the boundaries of democracy.”

Despite this official stance of non-interference, the ties between the National Rally (RN) and Russia have frequently been criticized. In 2014, Marine Le Pen’s party took out a loan from a Russian bank, and a parliamentary report published in 2023 denounced “frequent contacts” between RN officials and Russian representatives.

Strong Support from European Populist Leaders

Marine Le Pen’s conviction has also drawn reactions from several European leaders. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban openly supported her by writing “Je suis Marine!” on the social media platform X. Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini denounced a “declaration of war from Brussels,” claiming that the decision was an attempt to remove the far-right leader from the political scene.

In the Netherlands, nationalist leader Geert Wilders said he was “shocked by the extremely harsh verdict” and expressed his belief that Marine Le Pen would win her appeal.

Although Marine Le Pen has distanced herself from Russia since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, this judicial case reignites debate over her past ties with Moscow and raises questions about the political future of the National Rally.