PARIS: France’s Prime Minister Francois Bayrou on Saturday slammed as “interference” US President Donald Trump’s support for French far-right figurehead Marine Le Pen over her embezzlement conviction.

Referring to Trump’s remark that the case against Le Pen was a “witch hunt”, the centrist premier described it as “interference” in French affairs, in an interview published in the newspaper Le Parisien, complaining that “there are no longer any borders” in international political discourse.

On Friday, Trump, his Vice President JD Vance and billionaire backer Elon Musk all voiced their support to French far-right leader Le Pen after she was found guilty of embezzlement and barred from running in France’s 2027 presidential election. Trump, who often labelled his own legal woes as a leftist witch-hunt, drew parallels with Le Pen, the leader of the far-right National Rally (RN) party, who was widely seen as a plausible presidential winner.

She was convicted on Monday of misappropriating European Union funds by using the money to pay party officials. She received a four-year prison sentence — two of which are suspended and two to be served under home detention — and a 100,000-euro ($108,200) fine. She also received an immediate five-year ban on running for office that will prevent her from the 2027 presidential election unless the ruling is overturned next year.

“The Witch Hunt against Marine Le Pen is another example of European Leftists using Law fare to silence Free Speech, and censor their Political Opponent,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social media platform. “It is the same ‘playbook’ that was used against me.”

JD Vance, who has accused European nations of democratic abuses by seeking to block far-right parties from office, also weighed in to support Le Pen.

Published in Dawn, April 6th, 2025