Musk and European far-right leaders rally behind Marine Le Pen after court verdict

Far-right leaders and Elon Musk condemn a French court’s five-year poll ban on Marine Le Pen, warning of democratic norm violations and political backlash

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President of the parliamentary group of the French far-right Rassemblement National party, Marine Le Pen arrives at the Paris courthouse for her trial verdict on suspicion of embezzlement of European public funds, in Paris, on March 31. Photo: AFP

Published: 10:00pm, 31 Mar 2025Updated: 11:58pm, 31 Mar 2025

Prominent European far-right and nationalist figures as well as Elon Musk on Monday rallied around Marine Le Pen after a French court sentenced her to a five-year ban on running for office.

Le Pen was convicted over a scheme to take advantage of European Parliament expenses to employ assistants who were actually working for her far-right party in France.

Le Pen as well as the other officials from her party were banned from running for office, with the judge specifying that the sanction should come into force with immediate effect even if an appeal is lodged.

Tesla’s billionaire owner Elon Musk, who backed a far-right party in Germany and played a major role in US President Donald Trump’s administration, said the move would “backfire, like the legal attacks against President Trump”.

Elon Musk is rallying behind Marine Le Pen after a court banned her from running for office over expenses misuse. Photo

“Je suis Marine!” (“I’m Marine”) Hungarian nationalist leader Viktor Orban posted in French on X, echoing the cry “Je suis Charlie” widely used to denounce a 2015 Islamist attack on the Charlie Hebdo satirical newspaper in Paris.