How Marine Le Pen’s conviction could strengthen the far-right

The conviction of France’s far-right leader Marine Le Pen for embezzling European Union funds came as a major blow to her, preventing her from running in the 2027 presidential election race. Her party called the trial a 'witch hunt' and she accused the court of making a “political decision”, a sentiment shared by far-right politicians across the world. So, could Le Pen’s sentence strengthen far-right parties and benefit their leader’s popularity? And could she end up standing as president in any case?

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Guest: Peter Conradi, Europe Editor, The Sunday Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Edith Rousselot.

Further reading:

Jordan Bardella: immigrants’ son to French far-right poster boy Further listening:

Young, French and voting hard-rightHow France’s left stopped a far-right surge Clips: AFP, France 24, Newsweek, TF1.

Photo: Getty Images.

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