"The system brought out the nuclear bomb. And if they are using such a powerful weapon against us, it is obviously because we are on the verge of winning the elections," says French far-right leader Marine Le Pen before RN lawmakers, a day after she was banned from standing for office as part of an embezzlement conviction. Le Pen, who considered herself the favourite in the 2027 presidential elections where President Emmanuel Macron cannot stand again, was on Monday given a prison term and fine after being convicted of a fake jobs scheme at the EU parliament. Le Pen's conviction sparked angry reactions from far-right figures across Europe but also from the Kremlin, X owner Elon Musk and even the US State Department. SOUNDBITE