Vice President JD Vance was right all along about free speech in Europe – and that’s clearer than ever after a Paris court banned populist leader Marine Le Pen from running for President in 2027, confirming Vance’s warnings about democracy under threat in Europe.
At a glance:
• Marine Le Pen has been banned from running for public office for five years following embezzlement charges
• She was sentenced to four years imprisonment and fined €100,000 for allegedly misusing €474,000 in EU funds
• The ruling effectively blocks Le Pen, the current frontrunner, from the 2027 French presidential election
• Vice President JD Vance’s recent warnings about threats to European democracy now appear prophetic
• European leaders including Hungary’s Viktor Orbán and Italy’s Matteo Salvini have expressed solidarity with Le Pen
French Court Delivers “Political Death Sentence” to Le Pen
A Paris court delivered what many are calling a “political death sentence” to Marine Le Pen, leader of France’s National Rally party. The ruling found Le Pen guilty of embezzling €474,000 in European Union funds and immediately banned her from holding public office for five years.
The court’s decision effectively eliminates Le Pen from contention in the 2027 presidential election, where polls showed her as the clear frontrunner against President Emmanuel Macron. She was also sentenced to four years imprisonment, likely to be served as probation with an electronic monitoring device, and ordered to pay a €100,000 fine.
Le Pen left the courtroom visibly upset and has vowed to appeal the decision, maintaining her innocence throughout the proceedings. Her political allies have fiercely criticized the ruling as judicial interference in the democratic process, arguing it unfairly targets right-wing candidates who challenge the establishment.
And before you think it – no, Le Pen didn’t “embezzle” money for personal gain. It was a simple disagreement over how European Union funds were used to pay staff.
Vance’s Warnings Proven Prophetic
Vice President JD Vance’s warnings about threats to democracy in Europe have been dramatically vindicated by the French court’s decision. During his recent address at the Munich Security Conference, Vance specifically highlighted how European institutions themselves pose a greater threat to liberty than external forces like Russia or China. And he was roundly mocked for it by the liberal media.
And he wasn’t the only one concerned about what happened to Le Pen, either.
“Those who fear the judgment of voters often seek reassurance from the courts. In Paris, they have condemned Marine Le Pen and would like to remove her from political life. A bad situation that is also being observed in other countries such as Romania,” stated Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini in response to the ruling.
Donald Trump Jr. also reacted strongly to the news, writing: “France is sending Le Pen to jail and barring her from running?! Are they just trying to prove JD Vance was right about everything?”
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has shown solidarity with Le Pen, simply declaring “I am Marine!” on social media. The Bruges Group, a Eurosceptic think tank, stated that “Events in France today confirm that JD Vance was right in everything he said at the Munich Security Conference. The democratic backsliding and open lawfare in the EU threatens freedom in Europe.”
JD was right – and everyone knows it.
