French far-right leader Marine Le Pen has said she will not run for president if a court orders her to wear a monitoring bracelet, writes Politico.
On the 25th of February, Le Pen gave her first interview to French broadcaster BFMTV since her five-year ban on running for president came into effect last year. During the interview, the politician spoke about scenarios in which she would not participate in the presidential election scheduled for 2027. Her position suggests that Le Pen is unlikely to participate in the election, which is to elect a successor to current French President Emmanuel Macron. Macron has served two terms and cannot run again.
The prosecutor’s office has asked for Le Pen to be sentenced to four years in prison, three of which are suspended, and a fine of 100,000 euros. Since short terms are often shortened in France, Le Pen could in reality spend anywhere from a few months to a year under house arrest while wearing an electronic monitoring bracelet.
Le Pen stressed that she would not participate in the elections with an electronic monitoring bracelet. She said that it was impossible to participate in pre-election events in this way: “Can you campaign without going out in the evening to meet your voters at rallies?” The politician added that this would be another way to ensure that she does not run for president, indicating that she is not resigning, but is only acting wisely, and that the decisions ultimately do not depend on her.
The leader of France’s right-wing forces was found guilty of embezzlement last year.
The politician appealed the verdict, and the appeals court will make a decision by the 7th of July.
Le Pen said that the uncertainty over the court’s ruling was preventing her National Alliance (RN) party from launching its campaign, even though polls show her in the lead. Le Pen has previously said that if the court upholds her ban, she will make way for RN leader Jordan Bardella. She and Bardella will begin preparing for the campaign as soon as the French municipal elections scheduled for March are over. Le Pen said she would continue to campaign even if she did not run, but would avoid undermining or overshadowing the RN’s new star.
Following the conviction in the first instance, Le Pen and her allies attacked the judges who made the decision at home and abroad, with Bardella declaring that French democracy had been executed. Le Pen took a calmer stance on the appeal, but still said she did not trust the judicial system.
Read also: Presidential election campaign gears up in France
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