Asger Risom
Supporters decry ruling as political persecution, raising comparisons to historic and international figures
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A wave of outrage has followed the recent conviction of far-right leader Marine Le Pen, whose five-year ban from public office has drawn fierce reactions from allies in France and beyond. In one of the most striking responses, Bruno Gollnisch — former vice president of Le Pen’s Rassemblement National (RN) party — invoked biblical history to underscore what he sees as a miscarriage of justice.
“Even Jesus Christ was found guilty, even though he was innocent,” Gollnisch told Times Radio after the verdict, as reported by HotNews.ro. He added, “I’m not comparing Marine Le Pen to Jesus Christ, but she is innocent, and so am I.”
Gollnisch himself was also convicted in the same EU embezzlement case, receiving a three-year prison sentence (with two years suspended), a €50,000 fine, and the same five-year ban on holding public office.
A verdict with political implications
The French court’s ruling, delivered on March 31, 2025, effectively blocks Le Pen from participating in the 2027 presidential race. While she has vowed to appeal, her supporters argue that the decision is politically motivated and undermines democratic principles.
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Le Pen’s longtime ally, Jordan Bardella, who now leads RN and is expected to run in her place if the ban is upheld, denounced the verdict as “anti-democratic.”
Party vice president Sébastien Chenu echoed the sentiment, warning that the judiciary has become a tool to silence political opposition.
International figures have also rallied to Le Pen’s defense. Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini criticized what he called a “declaration of war” from Brussels, suggesting the EU played a role in her conviction.
He drew a direct line between Le Pen’s legal troubles and the disqualification of Romanian nationalist Călin Georgescu from his country’s 2024 presidential race.
Fears of unrest, but calls for calm
Despite the firestorm, Gollnisch stopped short of encouraging protest, stating: “The French are very peaceful people — maybe too peaceful.” Still, his comments and those of other Le Pen allies have heightened tensions, with many framing the ruling as the result of a broader establishment effort to suppress populist movements.
Le Pen, who once supported lifetime bans for officials convicted of crimes committed during their mandates, now finds herself in a legal and political limbo. Her appeal is pending, but for now, the verdict has reshaped the French political landscape — and ignited a fierce debate over justice, democracy, and who gets to run for president.
