France Meloni on Le Pen ruling: millions of citizens lose representation
Italy's right-wing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has expressed her irritation at the fact that French politician Marine Le Pen, who has been convicted of embezzlement, has been temporarily banned from elections.
01.04.2025, 13:33
SDA
Meloni told the newspaper "Il Messaggero" that she knew neither the accusations against Le Pen nor the reasons for "such a harsh decision". "But I don't believe that anyone who cares about democracy can be happy about a judgment that affects the leader of a major party and deprives millions of citizens of representation."
The right-wing nationalist politician Le Pen was found guilty on Monday of embezzling public funds. Part of the penalty is that the right-wing nationalist is not allowed to stand in elections for five years. The sentence comes into effect immediately - unlike a suspended prison sentence. Le Pen will therefore most likely not be able to run in the 2027 presidential election. The politician has announced that she intends to lodge an appeal as soon as possible. However, the chances of such proceedings coming to a quick conclusion are slim.
