PARIS: France’s highest administrative court rejected a challenge to electoral rules by far-right leader Marine Le Pen on Wednesday, dealing a blow to her efforts to overturn a sentence that could derail her candidacy in the 2027 presidential election.
In a separate but very significant development in French politics amid the current political crisis, the Socialists — with an eye on introducing wealth tax — managed to force the government to delay the controversial pension reform till the 2027 presidential election.
Le Pen was barred in March from seeking public office for five years after a French court convicted her and other members of her party for misappropriation of funds.
The far-right leader has said the case and the decision were politically motivated.
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SENTENCED AND BANNED
The Paris Criminal Court sentenced Le Pen to four years in prison, including two to be served, a 100,000-euro ($116,230.00) fine and a five-year ban on holding public office, which is immediately enforceable despite pending appeals.
Le Pen had argued that the immediate application of the law that bars people convicted of certain crimes — including those related to corruption, fraud, or misuse of public funds — unfairly infringed upon her political rights.
“Today, the Council of State rejected this appeal because it did not seek to repeal regulatory provisions but rather to amend the law, which exceeds the powers of the Prime Minister,” the court said in a statement.
It added that the contested articles either did not exist, or were unrelated to the execution of ineligibility penalties.
The ruling has cast doubt on her ability to run in the 2027 presidential election, where she remains a leading contender.
SOCIALISTS WINS PENSION REFORM CONCESSION
On the other hand, the Socialists, after winning a major concession on pension reform from Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu, on Wednesday set their sights on including a tax on billionaires in the 2026 budget as talks over its passage began in parliament.
Lecornu told lawmakers on Wednesday he would propose in November an amendment to the social security financing law in order to suspend a landmark pension reform until after the 2027 election, sacrificing one of President Emmanuel Macron’s legacy achievements to ensure the survival of his minority government.
The newly-appointed prime minister was threatened by two no-confidence motions filed by hard-left and far-right parties, but his pension reform concession ensured the Socialists would not back the measures.
Lecornu remains in office for now but his shaky government could still trip at any moment over his proposed over 30 billion euros ($34.8 billion) in tax hikes and savings in next year’s budget.
ZUMAN WEALTH TAX
Socialist leader Olivier Faure said his party would now fight to introduce its flagship Zucman wealth tax, aiming to raise revenue with higher taxes on France’s richest individuals.
“In the forthcoming debate, we on the left will be working together to defend the Zucman tax and public services and to protect the poorest,” Faure wrote in a post on X.
The tax, named after an idea put forward by French economist Gabriel Zucman, entails a 2 per cent levy on wealth above 100 million euros, affecting about 0.01% of taxpayers.
Lecornu has publicly opposed the tax, but in his address to parliament on Tuesday he said he would ask for an exceptional levy on large fortunes.
CONCEPTUAL CLASHES
The budget, which aims to reduce the deficit to 4.7 per cent of GDP from this year’s 5.4 per cent, hinges on a more than 30 billion-euro squeeze, including cuts to corporate tax breaks, tighter rules on social welfare contributions, and new levies.
“If we want to halt the rise in public debt in France, we need to be below 3 per cent by 2029,” Finance Minister Roland Lescure told RTL Radio on Wednesday. “We are open to any negotiations which will lead to the final figure.”
Parties largely agree on the need to curb debt, but have been divided over how that should be achieved.