Marine Le Pen said “the establishment has dropped a nuclear bomb” in an address to fellow National Rally MPs after a court ruling barred her from standing for public office ahead of the French presidential elections.
Less than 24 hours after being found guilty of embezzlement, Le Pen said: “If they use such a powerful weapon against us, it is because we are on the verge of winning the elections.”
The National Rally (RN) leader also told the meeting she would “defend the French people, who have the right to vote for whomever they wish”.
Her comments are the latest in a series of attacks on a French court’s decision to ban her from public office for five years following her conviction – a move that means she will not be able to stand in the presidential election in 2027.
On Monday night, Le Pen maintained her innocence and vowed to appeal the ruling in a television interview.
Now her party is ramping up efforts to draw in French support for Le Pen, who polls had as a frontrunner for the next election.
The head of RN, Jordan Bardella, urged the country to protest this weekend.
“We'll take to the streets this weekend. We're organising leaflet distributions, democratic, peaceful, calm mobilisations,” Mr Bardella told Europe 1 radio and CNews TV.
“I believe today that the French must be outraged, and I tell them: be outraged!”
RN lawmakers will also hold news conferences in their constituencies, he said.
Mr Bardella's support for Le Pen comes despite the ruling making him the de facto candidate for the 2027 election.
Judge Benedicte de Perthuis cited Le Pen’s lack of remorse as a key reason for the decision to ban her from running for office.
She found that Le Pen had been “at the heart” of a scheme to misappropriate more than €4m of European Union funds.
Despite outrage from the far right, an opinion poll suggested the majority of French people agreed with the conviction.
Le Pen was also fined €100,000 (£82,635) and handed a four-year prison sentence with two years suspended and the rest with an electronic tag.
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