Denouncing judges for being too soft on criminals is an anti-establishment staple for France’s far-right politicians. On Monday, they needed a different line of attack. A Paris criminal court imposed the most severe punishment possible on their leader, Marine Le Pen, for embezzling EU funds. Le Pen was sentenced to two years in jail — or at least wearing an electronic tag — with two more suspended, fined €100,000 and barred from running for office with immediate effect for five years. Though she will appeal, the ban seriously jeopardises Le Pen’s candidacy for the 2027 presidential election — which would have been her fourth bid for the Elysée palace, and probably the most propitious.
指责法官对罪犯过于宽容，是法国极右翼政客反建制的惯用伎俩。但周一，他们需要另辟蹊径。巴黎刑事法院以挪用欧盟资金为由，对其领导人马琳•勒庞(Marine Le Pen)施以最严厉的惩罚。勒庞被判处两年监禁——至少佩戴电子监控器——缓刑两年，罚款10万欧元，并禁止竞选公职，即刻生效，为期五年。尽管她将提出上诉，但这一禁令严重威胁到勒庞2027年参加大选的候选资格，这将是她第四次竞选爱丽舍宫，并可能是最有希望的一次。