Le Pen accuses judges of trying to destroy her party

Special to al-Bawaba, PARIS – President of the French right-wing populist National Rally Party, Marine Le Pen, accused Sunday judicial agencies loyal to the French government of trying to destroy her party.

In a strongly-worded letter, Le Pen said the agencies had taken judicial measures that threatened the future of the party.

The measures, she wrote in the letter, included withholding some of the subsidies the party was entitled to because of an alleged misuse of European parliamentary funds.   

Le Pen published the open letter on the site of her party. She lashed out at the French government for approving the suspension of the subsidies. She said the move would affect the ability of the National Rally Party to keep moving ahead.

She said the decision would deprive the party of the funding it should receive for the year 2018. Le Pen noted that suspended funds amounted to 2 million Euros, out of a total of 4.5 million Euros in total subsidies for the party during 2018.  

The National Rally came in second position in the last French election. Political parties in France are entitled to state subsidies in the light of their election results.

Here is the letter Le Pen published on the website of her party:

Open letter from Marine Le Pen:

Magistrates threaten to destroy the National Rally

Authorities deprive the National Rally of financial support

We must rise up against the despotism that wants to put an end to the largest opposition party in France

Ladies and gentlemen, dear citizens,

The National Rally is entitled to total subsidies of 4.5 million Euros in 2018, money that comes from the pockets of the voters. This money is important if the party will be able to do its job.

The party should have received an initial payment of 2 million Euros, which would have helped it pay the salaries of its workers and also the rent of its headquarters. Nonetheless, this amount of money was delayed for six months.

However, on July 5, two investigation magistrates ordered the confiscation of this amount of money in the light of an inquiry into an alleged misuse of European parliamentary funds. This is an empty case. The people who were accused by the political police of the Brussels Committee objected to charges in this regard three years ago, which made them totally baseless.

Nevertheless, two magistrates, sitting at their offices, ordered the confiscation of the aforementioned subsidies. This is a death sentence against the National Rally, one issued without a trial.

This decision is politically-motivated, given the fact that one of the two magistrates ordering the confiscation of the funds is a member of the judges union. The other one is a friend of him. It is also important to note that the subsidies' confiscation order was issued at the request of the prosecution.

The authorities are well aware of the financial problems of the political parties and are aware that the order would mean the suspension of subsidies for the party and consequently its systematic disappearance as of the end of August.

The decision, taken in the summer and during the World Cup, is a blatant breach of the law. It violates the presumption that the party can be innocent. The party believes that it has already been sentenced in a case that has not been considered yet, but one still under study. This is shocking.

The judges also applied a penalty that is only applicable in cases of fraud, namely the confiscation of funds.

The confiscated amount of money is also far larger than the fines that will be imposed in case alleged charges in the aforementioned case prove to be true.

The decision of the magistrates is not subject to appeal. Magistrates who do not take any action against real violators think they have the right to issue verdicts without trials. History teaches us that despots always hide behind the law to justify their aggressions against rights.

This show of force, masquerading as legal or judicial action, aims to eradicate the main opposition party by depriving it of the things that help it maintain presence. This is a clear aggression against democracy, basic rights and the constitution.

I call on French citizens to start peaceful and civilian resistance in the face of this humiliation. This resistance must be vibrant.

This is an unprecedented situation for the largest opposition party hitherto. The party, which came in second position in the latest election, is now obliged to suspend all its political activities, because it is no longer able to finance these activities.

The National Rally Party calls on French citizens who support freedom and democracy, regardless of their political affiliations, to move to sabotage this aggression by the judges.

We have launched this site (www.alertedemocratie.fr) for communication with those who want to financially support the party.

I warn officials at all political parties that they may be the subject of similar evil policies in the future. Their turn can be next, either sooner or later.

The public in democratic states need to know that French opposition parties are overlooked at parliamentary events. They are deprived of the right to make change. They are discriminated against by, for example, being prevented from dealing with the banks. Today, the same parties are being killed in the light of fabricated accusations.

Democracy and freedom should be personal issues for everybody.

Marine Le Pen

Member of parliament and the President of the National Rally