In Toulon, Le Pen's legal fightback leaves many French voters cold

By Michel Rose

TOULON, France (Reuters) - Yvon Castel says he has voted for the far-right National Rally for years, but is less than impressed by the tactics its leader Marine Le Pen has chosen to try to fight her way out of a legal judgement barring her way to 2027 elections.

"She's not above the law," the 72-year old said - an ominous message for Le Pen and her political prospects that was echoed by others in the sun-baked, immigrant-rich port city of Toulon where the far-right has traditionally prospered.

A Paris court convicted Le Pen and two dozen National Rally (RN) party members of embezzling EU funds on Monday. It imposed an immediate five-year ban on Le Pen running for office that will prevent her from standing in 2027 unless she can get the ruling overturned next summer.

Le Pen has called for a peaceful mass protest in Paris on Sunday, which will give an indication of how much popular support there is for her claims of a democratic crisis.

But her and her allies' attacks against the "tyranny of judges" have played badly, particularly after the lead judge who convicted her had to get police protection following death threats. President Emmanuel Macron called those threats "unbearable and intolerable."

Castel was also not pleased. "I don't like the fact she's attacking judges," he said, underlining the challenges Le Pen faces winning over supporters who, for all their backing for her disruptive party, are not against the courts.

Polls show a majority of French people don't see any problem with the court's decision. Some 65% of respondents said they were "not shocked" by the verdict and 54% said Le Pen was treated like any other defendant, according to an Odoxa poll.

"The RN's point doesn't fly with the wider public opinion," Odoxa's Gael Sliman told Reuters. "They can't go too far in attacking judges, especially if they want to broaden their appeal. Some of their voters are not anti-establishment."

That was especially the case among older voters, a segment of the population the RN is courting to win power in 2027.

"You can't steal 4 million euros like that from people. The verdict was fair," Francoise Bellis, a 77-year old pensioner, said. She laughed when she heard Russia saying the verdict had "killed democracy" in France.

"That's really the pot calling the kettle black," she added.

FORMER RN STRONGHOLD

Toulon, one of France's historic naval bases, plays a central role in the RN's history. The city was governed by what was then known as the National Front in the late 1990s, one of the first major mayorships the once-fringe party won.

The experience left a bitter taste for some voters after former far-right mayor, Jean-Marie Le Chevallier, was found guilty of corruption and left the city's coffers empty.

After years of trying to professionalize the party and clean up its image, Le Pen had been hoping to reconquer Toulon. Laure Lavalette, a Le Pen lieutenant who represents a Toulon voting district in the National Assembly, has yet to announce her candidacy, but is widely expected to run for mayor in 2026.

Lavalette did not return a request for comment. Her rivals said Le Pen's conviction would dredge up bad memories of RN wrongdoing for many in Toulon.

"The people in Toulon are going to think twice before giving their vote to the RN now," said Eddie Goujit, a young entrepreneur who has launched a long-shot bid for mayor. "I think Laure Lavalette had strong chances, but the court's decision is going to hurt a lot."

THE BARDELLA ALTERNATIVE

Another factor undermining the RN's anti-judicial strategy in Toulon is the fact that former Mayor Hubert Falco - a Macron supporter who was convicted of graft in 2023 - received the same public office ban as Le Pen. Falco's lawyers did not return a request for comment.

Le Pen's ban has opened her up to competition from within her ranks. Her 29-year old protege, party president Jordan Bardella, is wildly popular among the RN's younger, working class voters and must now walk a tightrope between his political ambitions and loyalty to his boss.

Constance Pellegrini, a 30-year-old security agent and longtime RN supporter, said Le Pen was clearly "being squashed to prevent her from becoming president".

But she said a generational handover was no bad thing: "The political world is scared of her. But fingers crossed the young Bardella will replace her."

(Reporting by Michel Rose; Editing by Gabriel Stargardter and Andrew Heavens)