Nottingham Guardian - Far-right leaders rally around France's Le Pen after election ban

"Je suis Marine!" or "I'm Marine," Hungarian nationalist leader Viktor Orban posted in French on X, in reference to the rallying cry "Je suis Charlie" widely used in support after the 2015 Islamist attack on the Charlie Hebdo satirical newspaper in France.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the verdict reinforced the view put out by Moscow that "more and more European capitals are going down the path of violating democratic norms".

Monday's court sentence declares Le Pen ineligible to stand for president in 2027 and gave her a four-year prison sentence -- half of it suspended -- for embezzlement of European parliament funds.

Although her lawyer later said she will appeal the conviction, Le Pen supporters at home and abroad criticised Monday's ruling against her.

- 'Shock' -

Le Pen will not serve time in prison. Two years of her sentence was suspended and the other two are to be served outside jail with an electronic bracelet, the court ruled.

Including 56-year-old Le Pen, nine figures from her National Rally (RN) party were convicted over a scheme where they took advantage of European Parliament expenses to employ assistants who were actually working for the party.

RN leader Jordan Bardella said on X that Le Pen, his mentor, was the victim of an "unjust" verdict and claimed that French democracy was being "executed".

Dutch far-right politician Geert Wilders also voiced shock at the ruling.

"I am shocked by the incredibly tough verdict against (Le Pen). I support and believe in her for the full 100 percent and I trust she will win the appeal and become President of France," Wilders posted in English on X.

Spain's far-right Vox leader Santiago Abascal also offered his support, posting on X "They will never succeed to silence the voice of the French people".

Abascal hosted Le Pen, Orban and other far right leaders in Madrid in February.

Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik said on X that "just like in my case, the verdict was not about the law -- it was about politics".

Dodik was convicted last month for defying the international envoy tasked with overseeing the peace accords that ended Bosnia's civil war in the 1990s.

- 'Like Romania' -

Italy's Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the League party Matteo Salvini called the court's ruling a "declaration of war by Brussels".

"A bad film that we are also seeing in other countries like Romania," wrote Salvini on social media.

"We don't let ourselves be intimidated, we don't stop: full speed ahead my friend!"

Romania's electoral bureau in early March rejected the candidacy of far-right politician Calin Georgescu for the re-run of presidential elections in May.

The fierce EU and NATO critic shot to prominence last November, when he unexpectedly topped a first round of presidential voting before the constitutional court annulled the election after claims of Russian interference and a "massive" social media promotion.

Georgescu, who denies any links to Moscow, has slammed the vote annulment as a "formalised coup d'etat" and the subsequent banning as "a direct blow to the heart of democracy".

burs-jza/rmb

Y.Byrne--NG