The US president has urged Paris to “free” the convicted ex-leader of the conservative National Rally party
US President Donald Trump’s public support for Marine Le Pen is tantamount to meddling in France’s domestic politics, French Prime Minister Francois Bayou has said. Le Pen, the former leader of the right-wing National Rally party and three-time presidential candidate, received a prison sentence for embezzlement earlier this week.
In a post on Truth Social on Thursday, Trump labeled Le Pen a victim of a “witch hunt” and claimed that she was prosecuted for her political beliefs. “FREE MARINE LE PEN!” he wrote.
During an interview with Le Parisien magazine published on Saturday, Bayrou was asked if he believed Trump’s words constituted interference in French domestic affairs.
“Yes, and interference has become the law of the world,” the prime minister replied.
“There are no longer any borders for major political debates. What happens at home is relayed to Washington. And we are rightly moved by what is happening in Türkiye, for example,” Bayrou added, referring to the ongoing anti-government protests in Istanbul and other major Turkish cities.
“For three-quarters of a century … we have believed that our conception of democracy and the rule of law would irresistibly impose itself everywhere on the planet. The alliance around the United States was just that: the alliance of freedoms,” Bayrou said.
Asked whether it was “no longer true,” Beyrou said, “We are suddenly discovering that the world has changed.”
“On several continents, some are trying to create an illiberal international of indecency, which has decided that human rights, the rule of law, and democratic understanding between nations should be a thing of the past,” he argued.
On Monday, a Paris court sentenced Le Pen to four years in prison, of which two are suspended, and the other two will be served under a form of house arrest. She was also handed a five-year ban on holding political office, which effectively disqualifies her from the 2027 presidential race.
According to the prosecutors, the veteran politician used the EU funds intended to cover the work of aides in the European Parliament to pay for staffers in France. She denied any wrongdoing and has promised to appeal the verdict.
