Elon Musk has hit out at the French court decision that bans far-right leader Marine Le Pen from running for office in 2027, calling it “abuse” and warning it would “backfire.”

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“This will backfire, like the legal attacks against President Trump,” Musk wrote on X, formerly Twitter, shortly after the ruling was made public.

Musk, a billionaire and close adviser to US President Donald Trump, has previously shown support for far-right parties, including one in Germany.

Also read: Who is Marine Le Pen? France’s far-right leader to serve 4 years in prison, banned from running for presidency

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Le Pen banned over misuse of EU funds

On Monday, a French court convicted Marine Le Pen and several figures from her National Rally (RN) party of misusing European Parliament funds. The court found that Le Pen and others paid party assistants with EU funds meant for parliamentary work.

As a result, Le Pen and other party members were handed immediate bans from holding public office, even if they appealed.

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Her lawyer, Rodolphe Bosselut, confirmed that she would challenge the ruling.

Musk and others rally behind Le Pen

Musk also criticised what he called the radical left, accusing them of misusing the legal system to jail political opponents.

Trump himself has faced several legal battles. He became the first convicted felon to serve as US President after being found guilty of falsifying business records in May 2024. He has also been investigated for refusing to concede the 2020 election and for storing classified documents at his private homes.

Also read: 'French democracy executed': Far-right leader Marine Le Pen gets 5-year political ban, 4-year prison term

Le Pen’s supporters have also spoken out. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban posted “Je suis Marine!” on X, a nod to the slogan “Je suis Charlie” after the 2015 Charlie Hebdo attack.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the decision showed that “more and more European capitals are going down the path of violating democratic norms.”

Jordan Bardella, leader of the RN party, said the ruling was an “execution” of French democracy.

Dutch far-right politician Geert Wilders described the ruling as an “incredibly tough verdict,” expressing his shock.

(With inputs from agencies)