Le Pen ban: Majority of French back ruling
Most French voters back Marine Le Pen’s immediate ineligibility — 68% call it fair, despite her claims of persecution. Polls show strong support for justice, even against high-profile figures.
A majority of French voters believe it is fair to enforce Marine Le Pen’s ineligibility from public office with immediate effect, according to an Elabe/BFMTV poll. Some 68% back the ruling, while 31% deem it unfair, highlighting a sharp divide as the far-right figure faces legal exclusion from the 2027 presidential election.
Yet the decision’s legitimacy remains under scrutiny.
While 57% see it as a routine judicial outcome “given the facts presented,” 42% believe it was driven by a desire “to prevent Le Pen from standing in the next election.”
Public sentiment appears similarly nuanced. When asked how they felt about the conviction, 42% said they were satisfied. In comparison, 29% expressed dissatisfaction, and another 29% said they were indifferent, suggesting the ruling resonates positively with a significant share of voters but leaves a notable portion unconvinced or disengaged.
Although Marine Le Pen and her allies have dominated the airwaves after the tribunal’s decision was known on Monday, claiming political persecution, the polls tell a different story. It underscores most French people’s apparent approval that legal accountability does not stop at the powerful.
GOING FURTHER:
Marine Le Pen attacks five-year ban from running for public office as ‘political decision’ | BBC NEWS
4 things to know about Marine Le Pen’s embezzlement sentence and the political impact | PBS
Marine Le Pen’s victim narrative is already being constructed – but there are ways to stop her criminal conviction benefiting her | Europeans TODAY
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