The French Constitutional Council, chaired by a politician affiliated with President Emmanuel Macron’s party, has ruled that a candidate may be barred from participating in elections based on a verdict issued by a court of first instance. As early as Monday, under the newly amended regulations, the court is expected to decide whether Marine Le Pen—currently leading in the polls—should be excluded from the electoral race. This development constitutes yet another example of the phenomenon of “militant democracy” in European states, wherein politicians who deviate from the mainstream consensus are excluded from democratic processes.
As reported on the X platform by Kacper Kita, the French Constitutional Council has determined that a conviction in a court of first instance is now sufficient grounds to prohibit an individual from running for office in France. It is an extraordinary coincidence that this decision was rendered just prior to the scheduled ruling concerning Marine Le Pen, who presently leads in public opinion surveys. Le Pen, leader of a party that secured the highest electoral support in the last election (33%), now faces potential exclusion.
The right-wing politician could face a five-year ban from participating in elections, in addition to a potential prison sentence and financial penalties. Notably, the current head of the Constitutional Council is Richard Ferrand, a former chief of staff of Macron’s political party.
As reported by Kita on X, Le Pen could be excluded from the electoral process as soon as the day after tomorrow, based on a court ruling. The legal foundation for this action was laid just yesterday by the Constitutional Council, under the leadership of Richard Ferrand—a Macron-aligned politician who served as the President of the National Assembly from 2018 to 2022 and, until only a few months ago, as head of the Executive Office of Macron’s party.
The news that Marine Le Pen could be barred from participating in the elections has sparked widespread reaction from political commentators on the X platform.
The charges against Le Pen and other members of the National Rally pertain to the employment of individuals as assistants to Members of the European Parliament, who are alleged to have carried out tasks unrelated to their official duties. Until now, a ban from elections would only take effect following the dismissal of an appeal. Under the revised regulations, such exclusion may now be enforced immediately upon a first-instance verdict.