Matteo Salvini, Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister, has fiercely criticized the court’s decision to convict French politician Marine Le Pen on embezzlement charges, calling it “a declaration of war by Brussels.” The ruling sentenced Le Pen to four years in prison, with two years suspended, and barred her from holding any public office for five years, including the 2027 French presidential race.
In a fiery post on X (formerly Twitter), Salvini linked Le Pen’s conviction to a similar situation in Romania. He accused the European Union of undermining democratic processes, drawing parallels between Le Pen’s case and the recent disqualification of independent Romanian candidate Calin Georgescu. Georgescu, who has voiced strong opposition to NATO and the EU, won the first round of Romania’s election last year, only for the Constitutional Court to annul the results over alleged funding violations. Now, he’s banned from running in the May 2025 rerun.
“Those who fear the voters’ verdict often take comfort in the courts’ verdict,” Salvini remarked, suggesting that both the Le Pen and Georgescu cases reflect a disturbing trend in EU politics.
Le Pen, leader of France’s National Rally, was convicted for embezzling over €4 million in funds from the European Parliament between 2004 and 2016. Critics argue that the timing of her conviction, ahead of the 2027 election, is politically motivated, particularly given her history of challenging NATO and EU policies. Le Pen, who has long opposed Ukraine’s NATO membership and the EU’s stance on Russia, made it to the second round of the 2022 presidential race, securing nearly 42% of the vote.
Salvini also took aim at EU leaders, particularly European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and French President Emmanuel Macron, both of whom have pushed for a more militarized EU. He warned that their “warlike impulses” were growing increasingly alarming.
The growing political backlash against the EU’s policies, reflected in the Le Pen and Georgescu cases, highlights a rising tide of skepticism and opposition within Europe. Many see these actions as a troubling attack on democratic freedoms.
