NARRATIVE – The nationalist party has launched a campaign in support of Marine Le Pen, and is leading a political offensive against the prosecution.
A shock. This is how those close to Marine Le Pen experienced Wednesday evening. That evening, after a day to be required in the so-called trial of the “European parliamentary assistants of the FN”, the prosecution announced that it was requesting, against the future candidate of the National Rally (RN) for the presidential election, a fine of 300,000 euros, five years in prison, including two years subject to change, and above all a sentence of five years of ineligibility with provisional execution.
In other words: if the court follows the requests of the prosecution on this last point, Marine Le Pen could not be a candidate in the next legislative elections, but also in a next presidential election, even if she appeals the court's decision. A political earthquake with unpredictable consequences.
For Marine Le Pen and those close to her, it was a shock because they did not see the severity of the requisitions coming, and especially not the provisional execution. « I think the prosecution will accuse… It won't make me fall off my chair »confided Marine Le Pen to journalists, during the evening presentation of the book by Jordan Bardella, the president of the RN, Tuesday evening in the gilded salons of the Westin, a Parisian palace. The leader of the nationalist deputies in the National Assembly still had an intuition, and outlined the outline of a political response to the prosecution's requisitions. « Some people are trying to prevent me from being a candidate through the courts because they cannot do it through the ballot box »she assured.
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Wednesday evening, Marine Le Pen fell out of her chair. His lieutenants too. « Crazy people »said one of them a few minutes after the end of the requisitions, targeting the two prosecutors. Within the flame party, spirits quickly recovered. The first act of the political pressure coup aims to show the extent of support for the RN's natural presidential candidate.
Launch the offensive against the floor
A campaign is organized on social networks, and in particular on X, where each activist, each executive and each elected official is invited to publish a photo with Marine Le Pen, accompanied by the hashtag #JeSoutiensMarine. A petition has also been launched, under the slogan: « Support Marine ! Defend democracy. »
This operation also targets Marine Le Pen herself. « Since the 30 September, she went to practically every hearing, alone. She did this because she feels it is her duty, she carries all this weight on her shoulders. It's a test for her, we need to show her our support »explained a Marinist leader. Others even worried about his psychological health. On the morning of the requisitions, there were three of them who accompanied him to court: Bruno Bilde, Sébastien Chenu and Kévin Pfeffer.
In what country would we live in which the leading female politician, the most popular female politician in the polls (…) would be prevented from running?
Sébastien Chenu, vice-president of the RN
Second act: it's about not remaining passive, and launching the offensive against the floor. « The prosecution is power. It's different from court. We must attack the first, but not the second »explained a close friend of Marine Le Pen a few hours before the end of the requisitions. Already planned by RN strategists, this operation took on a new dimension given the severity of the requisitions, and the urgency of the situation.
Unexpected support
Jean-Philippe Tanguy, deputy and right-hand man of Marine Le Pen in the National Assembly, denounces « almost fanatical requisitions ». Sébastien Chenu, another lieutenant of Marine Le Pen at the Palais Bourbon, accuses the prosecution of being « in the service of a political mission ». « In what country would we live in which the leading female politician, the most popular female politician in the polls (…) would be prevented from running? »he says on RMC-BMFTV.
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In this operation, Marine Le Pen can boast of garnering the expected support, such as that of Éric Ciotti, her new ally, and that of Marion Maréchal, her niece. But also the immediate one of Éric Zemmour and, a little less frank, of Jean-Luc Mélenchon. Finally, there are those unexpected, like that of the former Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin, for whom « fight Madame Le Pen is done in the ballot boxes, not elsewhere ». Or that of the Horizons mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, for whom « the automaticity of ineligibility penalties » East « a dangerous principle ».
Now, Marine Le Pen and those close to her have their eyes set on spring 2025, when the court will deliver its judgment. « As I know justice, I expect conviction »predicted Philippe Olivier, special advisor to the RN candidate, Tuesday evening at the Westin. No one at the RN wants to expect Marine Le Pen to be ineligible anymore.
