Marine Le Pen Confirmed to Lose Departmental Council Mandate Following Legal Ruling
French court affirms automatic resignation of Marine Le Pen from her role as departmental councillor after public fund embezzlement conviction.
On June 4, the Lille Administrative Court upheld the ruling that Marine Le Pen must resign from her position as a departmental councillor for Pas-de-Calais.
This decision follows her conviction in late March for embezzlement of public funds, where she was sentenced to four years in prison, two of which are firm, and an immediate five-year ineligibility.
The court's decision hinges on the electoral code, which requires the prefect to declare an elected official automatically resigned if found ineligible by a criminal court, supported by a provisional execution order.
The ruling dismissed a constitutional question raised by Le Pen's lawyer, claiming that enforced resignation under such conditions could infringe upon electoral freedoms and constitutional principles.
However, the court noted that relevant legislative provisions had previously been deemed constitutional by the Constitutional Council in a similar case involving infractions against municipal councillors.
Le Pen retains her parliamentary mandate for Pas-de-Calais, as her legal status as a deputy is protected under existing jurisprudence.
Nonetheless, she was formally removed as a departmental councillor by a prefectural order on April 10, in line with the court’s judgment.
Le Pen's conviction indicated her active involvement in a scheme diverting public funds intended for European Parliament employees, amounting to €4.4 million between 2004 and 2016.
Le Pen's attorney, Thomas Laval, has announced plans to appeal the court's ruling to the Council of State, a process that could suspend the effect of her resignation until a final decision is reached.
Additionally, the court deemed the constitutional question posed by her advocates as irrelevant, referencing a prior constitutional ruling concerning similar cases of ineligibility.
In parallel political activity, a seventh motion of censure against Prime Minister François Bayrou's government was introduced and subsequently rejected, revealing a complex political landscape lacking enough support from both the Socialist Party and the National Rally needed for potential success.
This motion arose amid debates over controversial agricultural legislation criticized by opposition parties and highlighting tensions between government factions.
The debates continue to evolve against a backdrop of ongoing legal and political complexities surrounding high-profile figures like Le Pen.
This decision follows her conviction in late March for embezzlement of public funds, where she was sentenced to four years in prison, two of which are firm, and an immediate five-year ineligibility.
The court's decision hinges on the electoral code, which requires the prefect to declare an elected official automatically resigned if found ineligible by a criminal court, supported by a provisional execution order.
The ruling dismissed a constitutional question raised by Le Pen's lawyer, claiming that enforced resignation under such conditions could infringe upon electoral freedoms and constitutional principles.
However, the court noted that relevant legislative provisions had previously been deemed constitutional by the Constitutional Council in a similar case involving infractions against municipal councillors.
Le Pen retains her parliamentary mandate for Pas-de-Calais, as her legal status as a deputy is protected under existing jurisprudence.
Nonetheless, she was formally removed as a departmental councillor by a prefectural order on April 10, in line with the court’s judgment.
Le Pen's conviction indicated her active involvement in a scheme diverting public funds intended for European Parliament employees, amounting to €4.4 million between 2004 and 2016.
Le Pen's attorney, Thomas Laval, has announced plans to appeal the court's ruling to the Council of State, a process that could suspend the effect of her resignation until a final decision is reached.
Additionally, the court deemed the constitutional question posed by her advocates as irrelevant, referencing a prior constitutional ruling concerning similar cases of ineligibility.
In parallel political activity, a seventh motion of censure against Prime Minister François Bayrou's government was introduced and subsequently rejected, revealing a complex political landscape lacking enough support from both the Socialist Party and the National Rally needed for potential success.
This motion arose amid debates over controversial agricultural legislation criticized by opposition parties and highlighting tensions between government factions.
The debates continue to evolve against a backdrop of ongoing legal and political complexities surrounding high-profile figures like Le Pen.