Le Pen's Peaceful Battle: A Civil Rights-Inspired Fight

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen vows to fight against her ban from the 2027 presidential election after being convicted of embezzling EU funds. Drawing inspiration from Martin Luther King Jr., she and her supporters plan a peaceful protest to challenge the ruling within 18 months.

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen announced her commitment to peacefully overturn a five-year political campaign ban, aiming to draw strength from Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy. A recent Paris court conviction found Le Pen and the National Rally party guilty of embezzling EU funds, barring her from running in the 2027 presidential elections unless she successfully overturns the decision by mid-2026.

Supporters of Le Pen gathered in central Paris in a forceful display of peaceful resistance, echoing her claims of a politically motivated prosecution. Le Pen shared a video message to Italy's Lega party, led by Matteo Salvini, declaring her fight as democratic and nonviolent, mirroring the civil rights ethos of King.

The verdict serves as a significant blow to Le Pen, a dominant figure in the European far-right movement. Despite legal setbacks, recent Elabe polls indicate she remains a favored contender for the French presidency, maintaining a lead in opinion polls for the upcoming election cycle.

(With inputs from agencies.)