National Rally Holds Rally Amid Leadership Convictions
Marine Le Pen's party members express support amid a political backlash following her conviction.
PARIS - Senior members of France's far-right National Rally gathered in Paris on Sunday for a rally that served as a demonstration against Marine Le Pen's recent conviction.
The gathering condemned what they termed the "execution" of their leader by the judicial system, while refraining from articulating a new strategic direction for the party ahead of the 2027 presidential elections.
Several thousand supporters rallied outside the Invalides dome, which houses Napoleon's tomb, with chants aimed at "saving democracy," according to reports from attendees.
During her speech, Le Pen asserted she would not back down, stating, "I won’t give in." Last week, Le Pen received a five-year ban from holding public office as a result of her involvement in a fraud case related to European Parliament assistants.
Absent a successful appeal expected in 2026, this ruling will bar her from participating in the upcoming presidential race.
Le Pen characterized the legal ruling as a politicized act rather than an issue of justice, alleging that certain judges are biased against her and her party.
She called for a "peaceful and democratic, popular and patriotic resistance," referencing civil rights hero Martin Luther King Jr.
Jordan Bardella, the party’s leader and currently its most prominent figure, also spoke at the rally, expressing his steadfast loyalty to Le Pen and describing their partnership as one of "trust."
Support for Le Pen came from various international political figures, with messages shown at the rally from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Italian leader Matteo Salvini, and former Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš.
Despite the turmoil caused by Le Pen's conviction, no concrete strategy was unveiled at the rally regarding the party's future actions.
Instead, the atmosphere resembled a "wait and see" approach, with Le Pen and her colleagues focusing on their aspirations for a positive outcome in the impending appeals process.
Le Pen criticized the European Union and its fraud watchdog, OLAF, accusing them of operating in violation of legal principles.
The party and its affiliates declared they possess no treasonous intentions, while simultaneously condemning the alleged pressure and violence faced by judges, labelling their demands as calls for a return of power "to the people."
In the aftermath of the March ruling, the National Rally reported that approximately 500,000 individuals had signed a petition in support of Le Pen, with over 20,000 new members reportedly joining the party.
These figures have not been independently verified.
After the rally, a young attendee expressed hope for a "popular awakening" and mentioned plans to consider joining the party soon.
The event was heavily policed, with tensions rising between far-right supporters and journalists present at the rally.
Reports indicated that several reporters faced verbal harassment, with some being physically pushed by attendees.
An individual in attendance expressed his grievances regarding safety in his Paris suburb, citing discomfort with local demographics and cultural practices.
Simultaneously, other protests occurred across the Paris region.
Left-wing groups, including La France Insoumise (LFI) and the Greens, convened at Place de la République to counter Le Pen's narrative of victimhood, as articulated by leftist leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon on social media.
In response to the rally and its international endorsements, French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou criticized US former President Donald Trump's support for Le Pen, labeling it as "foreign interference," a sentiment echoed by former Macron-aligned Prime Minister Gabriel Attal during a meeting in Saint-Denis.
The gathering condemned what they termed the "execution" of their leader by the judicial system, while refraining from articulating a new strategic direction for the party ahead of the 2027 presidential elections.
Several thousand supporters rallied outside the Invalides dome, which houses Napoleon's tomb, with chants aimed at "saving democracy," according to reports from attendees.
During her speech, Le Pen asserted she would not back down, stating, "I won’t give in." Last week, Le Pen received a five-year ban from holding public office as a result of her involvement in a fraud case related to European Parliament assistants.
Absent a successful appeal expected in 2026, this ruling will bar her from participating in the upcoming presidential race.
Le Pen characterized the legal ruling as a politicized act rather than an issue of justice, alleging that certain judges are biased against her and her party.
She called for a "peaceful and democratic, popular and patriotic resistance," referencing civil rights hero Martin Luther King Jr.
Jordan Bardella, the party’s leader and currently its most prominent figure, also spoke at the rally, expressing his steadfast loyalty to Le Pen and describing their partnership as one of "trust."
Support for Le Pen came from various international political figures, with messages shown at the rally from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Italian leader Matteo Salvini, and former Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš.
Despite the turmoil caused by Le Pen's conviction, no concrete strategy was unveiled at the rally regarding the party's future actions.
Instead, the atmosphere resembled a "wait and see" approach, with Le Pen and her colleagues focusing on their aspirations for a positive outcome in the impending appeals process.
Le Pen criticized the European Union and its fraud watchdog, OLAF, accusing them of operating in violation of legal principles.
The party and its affiliates declared they possess no treasonous intentions, while simultaneously condemning the alleged pressure and violence faced by judges, labelling their demands as calls for a return of power "to the people."
In the aftermath of the March ruling, the National Rally reported that approximately 500,000 individuals had signed a petition in support of Le Pen, with over 20,000 new members reportedly joining the party.
These figures have not been independently verified.
After the rally, a young attendee expressed hope for a "popular awakening" and mentioned plans to consider joining the party soon.
The event was heavily policed, with tensions rising between far-right supporters and journalists present at the rally.
Reports indicated that several reporters faced verbal harassment, with some being physically pushed by attendees.
An individual in attendance expressed his grievances regarding safety in his Paris suburb, citing discomfort with local demographics and cultural practices.
Simultaneously, other protests occurred across the Paris region.
Left-wing groups, including La France Insoumise (LFI) and the Greens, convened at Place de la République to counter Le Pen's narrative of victimhood, as articulated by leftist leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon on social media.
In response to the rally and its international endorsements, French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou criticized US former President Donald Trump's support for Le Pen, labeling it as "foreign interference," a sentiment echoed by former Macron-aligned Prime Minister Gabriel Attal during a meeting in Saint-Denis.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
