Marine Le Pen’s Trump-style defiance over her conviction leaves France and its far right in a bind
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Bardella Steps Up as Le Pen's Heir in French Presidential Race
Above: Jordan Bardella, leader of France’s National Rally party, speaks to supporters of Marine Le Pen following her embezzlement conviction, in Paris on April 6, 2025. Image copyright: Remon Haazen/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Spin
Establishment-critical narrative
The legal proceedings against Le Pen are a politically motivated attempt to derail her presidential ambitions and silence the party’s growing influence. Le Pen, however, like President Trump in the U.S., will not allow these trumped-up charges to go unanswered and will pursue and win justice in her retrial in 2026.
Pro-establishment narrative
Marine Le Pen and National Rally have no one else to blame but themselves for their convictions. In a court of law, both were found guilty of misappropriating European Parliament funds in a fair trial. Le Pen’s actions since, like Trump’s in America, only serve to undermine the rule of law and trust in the courts.