Major Controversies Surrounding Marine Le Pen: A Detailed Timeline

A closer look at the most debated and controversial moments involving Marine Le Pen.

Marine Le Pen is a French lawyer and prominent politician associated with the far-right National Rally party. She served as the party's president for a decade and has been a member of the National Assembly since 2017. Notably, Le Pen has run for the French presidency three times, in 2012, 2017, and 2022, becoming a significant figure in French politics.

Sections (6)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

October 2009: Quotes from Mitterrand's book on France 2

In October 2009, during an appearance on the programme Mots croisés (Crossed Words) on France 2, Marine Le Pen quoted sections of Frédéric Mitterrand's autobiographical novel The Bad Life, accusing him of having sex with underage boys and engaging in sex tourism, and demanding his resignation as Minister of Culture.

The Bad Life: A Memoir

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December 2010: Controversial Comments on Muslim Prayers

On 10 December 2010, Marine Le Pen made controversial comments comparing Muslim prayers in public streets to the Nazi occupation of France during a speech to party members in Lyon.

December 2010: Reasserted Statement on Muslim Prayers

On 13 December 2010, Marine Le Pen reasserted her statement about Muslim prayers during a press conference. She also accused the Élysée Palace of organising "state manipulation".

December 2011: Opposition to foreigners' right to vote

On December 8, 2011, during a demonstration held in front of the Senate, Marine Le Pen expressed her firm and absolute opposition to the right of foreigners to vote.

2012: Electoral fraud

In 2012, Marine Le Pen was accused of producing and distributing flyers purporting to be from electoral opponent Jean-Luc Mélenchon, calling for 'Arab' votes.

2012: Criticism from Éric Zemmour

In 2012, during the presidential election, Éric Zemmour, a journalist for Le Figaro, criticized Marine Le Pen, stating that the FN had become a left-wing party under the influence of Florian Philippot.

February 2013: Spoke at Cambridge Union Society

In February 2013, Marine Le Pen spoke at the Cambridge Union Society, sparking controversy and protests from anti-fascist groups.

2014: Found guilty of electoral fraud

In 2014, the Criminal Court of Bethune found Marine Le Pen guilty of electoral fraud, for producing and distributing flyers during the 2012 election purporting to be from electoral opponent Jean-Luc Mélenchon, calling for 'Arab' votes. She was ordered to pay a €10,000 fine.

April 2015: Political crisis due to father's controversial statements

In April 2015, Marine Le Pen's father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, made controversial statements about World War II and minorities in France, causing a political crisis in the FN.

August 2015: Expulsion of Father from Party

In August 2015, Marine Le Pen expelled her father from the National Front (FN) after he made controversial statements.

December 2015: Tweeting of violent imagery

Marine Le Pen had tweeted an image of beheaded journalist James Foley in December 2015, which was deleted following a request from Foley's family.

December 2015: Acquitted of Inciting Hatred

On 15 December 2015, a Lyon court acquitted Marine Le Pen of "inciting hatred" regarding her comments on Muslim prayers.

2015: Expulsion of Father from Party

In 2015, Marine Le Pen expelled her father from the National Front (FN) as part of her policy of "de-demonisation" of the party.

2015: Reactions to her social program

In 2015, Nicolas Sarkozy declared Marine Le Pen a far-left politician due to her social program and support of SYRIZA in the Greek general elections. President François Hollande also stated that she was talking like a leaflet of the Communist Party in 2015.

March 2017: Revocation of immunity from prosecution

On March 2, 2017, the European Parliament voted to revoke Marine Le Pen's immunity from prosecution for tweeting violent imagery.

April 2017: Le Pen Cancels Campaign Event After Shooting

In April 2017, Marine Le Pen cancelled a planned campaign event in the wake of a shooting targeting police officers. Following this, she called for the closure of all "extremist" mosques, a remark that was criticised by Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve. She also called for the expulsion of hate preachers and people on the French security services' watch list, and the revocation of their citizenship.

May 2017: Speech Copying Allegations

In May 2017, after progressing to the second round of elections, Marine Le Pen was criticised by members of her party when a video emerged of her copying sections of a speech by Francois Fillon word-for-word.

2017: France no responsibility for Vel' d'Hiv Roundup

In 2017, Marine Le Pen argued that France as a nation bore no responsibility for the Vel' d'Hiv Roundup, in which Paris policemen arrested Jewish citizens for deportation to Auschwitz as part of the Holocaust. She repeated a Gaullist thesis according to which France was not represented by the Vichy regime, but by Charles de Gaulle's Free France.

2022: Condemnation of Ukraine Invasion

Before the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Marine Le Pen supported closer cooperation with Vladimir Putin and Russia. After the invasion she strongly condemned the war in Ukraine, but stated Russia could become "an ally of France again" if it ends.

October 2023: Convicted of Defamation

In October 2023, Marine Le Pen was convicted of committing defamation against French NGO Cimade for accusing the organisation of being "accomplices to smugglers" and being involved in an "illegal immigration network from the Comoros" in Mayotte back in January 2022. She was ordered to pay €500 and sustain court costs.

December 2023: Ordered to Stand Trial for Embezzlement

In December 2023, Marine Le Pen was ordered to stand trial after being charged with paying National Rally party officials through funds earmarked for European Parliament assistants. Her trial, for embezzlement of public funds, was scheduled in March 2024 to occur between 30 September and 27 November the same year.

March 2024: Trial Scheduled

In March 2024, the trial of Marine Le Pen for embezzlement of public funds, was scheduled to occur between 30 September and 27 November the same year.