Jump to content

Draft:Disqualification of convicted representatives in France

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Disqualification (French: inéligibilité) is when a French court punishes someone by prohibiting them from running for election.

Outside punishments, there are other reasons why the French electoral code may disqualify people from running. A prefect cannot run in their own riding.

History

[edit]

Naturalized citizens

[edit]

Naturalized citizens were disqualified multiple times in the legal history of France. A law from 1849 to 1867 [fr] prohibited naturalized citizens from running unless individually authorized. The 1889 nationality law [fr] imposed a 10-year waiting period,[1] reaffirmed by the 1927 law [fr] and the 1945 nationality law. In 1952, the waiting period for municipal representatives became 5 years, and likewise for parliamentary representatives in 1975. The waiting period was removed for municipal representatives in 1978 and for everyone in 1983.[2]

Punishment

[edit]

The punishment of disqualification became French law in 1992.[3] Until 2010, Act L. 7 of the French electoral code automatically removed candidates from the electoral list when convicted of felonies and certain misdemeananors, leading to de facto disqualification for five years.

In 2010, following a constitutional challenge [fr] (QPC), the Constitutional Council struck down part of the act that violated the individualized sentencing [fr] protected by article 8 of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen.[4][3] It said the loss of passive suffrage must be manually imposed by a judge, for a maximum of five years for a misdemeanor and ten years for a felony.[5][6]

François Hollande won the 2012 French presidential election on a platform of extending disqualification to 10 years.[7] The French chapter of Transparency International supported this.[8] The government bill for political transparency even suggests permanent disqualification "for violations of public morality, like corruption, influence peddling, electoral fraud or tax evasion".[9][10] This did not make it into the final Law for political transparency [fr].[11][12]

In 2017, the Law for trust in democracy [fr] created equitable relief in the form of disqualification for felonies or a lack of integrity.[11][13] The requirement of a clean criminal record was considered but dismissed as potentially unconstitutional.[14] The Constitutional Council rejected the appeals of some who showed remorse for or denied certain felonies, but also rejected complaints of violation of individualized sentencing now that the disqualification is not automatic.[15]

In 2024, disqualification was frequently in the news, during the National Front assistants scandal, when the prosecutor sought to disqualify Marine Le Pen for 5 years.[16] The request for provisional execution [fr] (immediate enforcement without waiting for appeal[17]) shocked politics, media, and academia, with her supporters decrying a "political trial" and a "judicial dictatorship",[18][19] but others pointed to judicial independence[20] and the seriousness of the crime.[21] Found guilty on 31 March 2025, Marine Le Pen was sentenced to five years' disqualification, a fine, and prison time with provisional execution, preventing her from running for president in 2027.[22]

A Mahoran official disqualified with provisional execution raised a QPC saying the provisional execution unconstitutionally violated the right to stand for election as the sentence is not final. The Council of State agreed to forward the QPC to Constitutional Council on 27 December 2024.[23] It was heard on 3 January 2025,[24] but deals not with provisional execution itself but with the constitutionality of L. 230 and L. 236 of the French electoral code that the prefect used to remove the Mahoran from office.[24]

List of convicted representatives in France

[edit]

To ensure that elected officials lead by example and with integrity, violations regularly result in disqualification[25][26] (171 in 2016, 9125 in 2022).[27] For example:

Name Date Duration Notes
Henri Emmanuelli 1996 2 years Influence peddling coverup of the Urba scandal [fr] of dark money towards the Socialist Party. Reelected in Landes in 2000.[28]
Alain Carignon 1996 5 years Dauphiné News corruption scandal [fr][29]
Jean-Marie Le Pen 1997 3 years Holocaust denial[30]
Jean-Marie Le Pen 1998 1 year Assault on an Île-de-France regional councilor[28]
Jean-Marie Le Pen 2011 10 years Islamophobic hate speech. Some sentences were overturned or reduced on appeal.[30]
Catherine Mégret [fr] November 2000 2 years Involvement in withholding child benefits from families with one French or EU parent.[31]
Alain Juppé December 2004 1 year Convicted on appeal for acquiring conflicts of interest during the Fictitious employment scandal of the Paris mayoralty [fr]. Reelected Mayor of Bordeaux in 2006.[28]
Michel Gillibert [fr] July 2004 5 years Convicted by the Court of Justice of the Republic for scamming.[32]
Charles Pasqua January 2013 2 years Hamon Foundation scandal.[33] The sentence was not confirmed because he died before appeal.
Jean Tiberi 2013 3 years Convicted on appeal for electoral fraud. Affirmed by the supreme court in 2015.[28]
Yamina Benguigui 2016 1 year Three incomplete financial disclosures[28]
Sylvie Andrieux 2017 5 years Misappropriation. Appeal did not overturn the disqualification part.[30]
Serge Dassault 2017 5 years Money laundering[28]
Thomas Thévenoud 2017 3 years Convicted on appeal for failure to declare income. Used the administrative phobia [fr] defense.[28]
Jérôme Cahuzac 2018 5 years Tax evasion and money laundering via a foreign bank account in the Cahuzac scandal[30]
Léon Bertrand 2018 3 years Convicted by supreme court for passive corruption and cronyism.[28]
Bernard Tapie 1995 3 years Corruption and witness tampering in the French football bribery scandal[29]
Bernard Tapie 2020 5 years Lyon Credit scandal [fr][30]
Nicolas Sarkozy 2020 3 years Sarkozy wiretapping scandal. Affirmed on appeal, after certiorari [fr].[30]. Affirmed by the supreme court on 18 December 2024. He wants to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights.[34]
Patrick Balkany 2019 10 years Tax evasion[29] in the Balkany scandal [fr]. In 2024, he asked judges "to lift his sentence of disqualification."[35]
Isabelle Balkany 2019 10 years Same Balkany scandal [fr] as her husband.[29] Sentence reduced on 2021 appeal.[30]
François Fillon 2020 10 years Misappropriation during the Fillon scandal involving fictitious employment of his wife and children. Appeal did not overturn the disqualification part.[30] Appealable in April 2025.[36]
Penelope Fillon 2020 3 years For her part in her husband's scandal. Appealable in April 2025.[36]
Georges Tron December 2021 6 years Convicted on appeal for sexual assault. Certiorari denied.[37]
Philippe Martin January 2022 3 years Fictitious employment[38]
Alfred Marie-Jeanne April 2022 2 years Incomplete financial disclosures. Without provisional execution.[39]
Alain Griset January 2023 3 years Suspended conviction on appeal for incomplete or false financial disclosure[40]
Pierre Ménès April 2023 1 year Sexual assault. Reserves the right to appeal.[41]
Michel Mercier February 2024 2 years Misappropriation in the Democratic Movement assistants scandal [fr][42]
Jean-Noël Guérini March 2024 5 years Convicted by supreme court for breach of trust, passive influence peddling and money laundering,[43] in a procurement corruption case,[44] confirming the appellate court sentence of March 2022[43]
Xavier Darcos April 2024 3 years Acquiring conflicts of interest. He nevertheless remains chancellor of the Institute of France.[45]
Gaston Flosse April 2024 5 years Convicted on appeal for illegally registering to vote using an illegitimate lease. The appeal reaffirmed the disqualification from 2022. Certiorari was planned.[46]
Pascale Haiti April 2024 3 years Partner of Gaston Flosse[46]
Hubert Falco May 2024 5 years Lack of integrity.[47] Certiorari denied.[48]
Stéphane Ravier May 2024 1 year As mayor of Marseille, Nepotism involving his son. Without provisional execution. He plans to appeal.[49]
Jean-Paul Huchon June 2024 1 year Equitable remedy for acquiring conflicts of interest.[50] The equitable part was overturned in a 2008 appeal, but not[51] the legal remedies from 2007.[52]
Annick Girardin September 2024 1 year Failure to file campaign finances[53]
Jean-Christophe Cambadélis September 2024 5 years Misusing his parliamentary allowance [fr]. Reserves the right to appeal.[54]
Marine Le Pen March 2025 5 years Misappropriation during the National Front assistants scandal.[22] As planned in November 2024,[22] she appealed.[55] It will be held from 13 January 2026 to 12 February 2026.[56]
Louis Aliot March 2025 3 years National Front assistants scandal. Without provisional execution.[57] He plans to appeal.[58]
Florent de Kersauson [fr] September 2025 5 years Financial crimes and breach of trust.[59] Without provisional execution. He appealed immediately.[60]

Law

[edit]

Disqualification is a type of prohibition of political activity.[61]

Disqualification is equitable relief [fr] with a maximum of 10 years for an elected official lacking integrity, engaging in active corruption, or influence peddling.[62]

The equitable relief is a mandatory sentence for felons and certain misdemeanants:

The court may however write a special judicial opinion taking mitigating factors and character evidence into account and not impose the penalty.[63]

For electoral fraud, the disqualification is not more than three years.[64][5]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Noiriel, Gérard (2014). Pluriel (ed.). Immigration, antisémitisme et racisme en France: XIXe-XXe siècle discours publics, humiliations privées (in French). ISBN 978-2-8185-0418-5.
  2. ^ Weil, Patrick (1995). Gallimard (ed.). La France et ses étrangers: l'aventure d'une politique de l'immigration de 1938 à nos jours. Collection Folio/actuel (in French). ISBN 978-2-07-032882-6.
  3. ^ a b Guillaume Leroy (27 November 2024). Marianne (ed.). "Inéligibilité de Le Pen : "Derrière le mirage de la sévérité se cache une tolérance coupable envers les élus"". marianne.net (in French). Retrieved 6 December 2024.
  4. ^ Conseil Constitutionnel.fr (11 June 2010). "Décision No. 2010-6/7 QPC du 11 juin 2010" (in French). Retrieved 19 March 2014.
  5. ^ a b Alexandre Léchenet, Damien Leloup et Alexandre Pouchard (3 April 2013). "L'inéligibilité des élus condamnés en question". lemonde.fr (in French). Retrieved 19 March 2014.
  6. ^ J. Joannès (11 June 2010). "Les peines d'inéligibilité prononcées en vertu de l'article L7 du code électoral sont annulées". lagazettedescommunes.com (in French). Retrieved 20 March 2014.
  7. ^ "Engagement 49 du programme de François Hollande". parti-socialiste.fr (in French). Archived from the original on 20 March 2014. Retrieved 20 March 2014.
  8. ^ "Propositions pour l'élection présidentielle de 2012". transparency-france.org (in French). Retrieved 20 March 2014.
  9. ^ "Communiqué de presse du Conseil des ministres du 24 avril 2013". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 20 March 2014.
  10. ^ "Moralisation: les détails des projets de loi, de l'inéligibilité à la transparence des patrimoines". huffingtonpost.fr (in French). 24 April 2013. Retrieved 20 March 2014.
  11. ^ a b Hélène Bekmezian (17 September 2013). "Les texts sur la transparence de la vie publique définitivement adoptés". lemonde.fr (in French). Retrieved 20 March 2014.
  12. ^ Article 27 of Official Journal of the French Republic, PRMX1309699L creating Article 131-26-1 of the penal code
  13. ^ Article 1 of Official Journal of the French Republic, JUSC1715753L creating Article 131-26-2 of the penal code
  14. ^ Impact study and parliamentary debates of the law on 15 September 2017
  15. ^ Conseil constitutionnel (8 September 2017). "Décision 2017-752 DC du 8 septembre 2017" (in French).
  16. ^ Thérèse Aubert-Monpeyssen (20 December 2024). "" L'inéligibilité requise contre Marine Le Pen ne cache aucune sanction politique "". la-croix.com (in French). Retrieved 7 January 2025.
  17. ^ "exécution provisoire". vitrinelinguistique.oqlf.gouv.qc.ca (in French). Retrieved 30 September 2025.
  18. ^ Aynès, Camille (28 March 2025). "Justice : Marine Le Pen et le spectre de l'inéligibilité à la présidentielle". The Conversation (in French). Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  19. ^ "Le « gouvernement des juges », une conception minimaliste de la démocratie". Le Monde (in French). 4 December 2024. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  20. ^ Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (2 April 2025). "Condamnation de Le Pen : Macron et Bayrou soutiennent l'indépendance de la justice" (in Canadian French). Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  21. ^ Gallet, Ludwig (1 April 2025). "Condamnation de Marine Le Pen : « Le jugement est sévère, mais traduit la gravité des faits », estime Michel Sapin". leparisien.fr (in French). Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  22. ^ a b c Tristan Berteloot (31 March 2025). "Assistants fictifs du RN : Marine Le Pen jugée coupable et condamnée à 5 ans d'inéligibilité, sa candidature à la présidentielle 2027 compromise". liberation.fr (in French). Retrieved 31 March 2025.
  23. ^ Éric Landot (28 December 2024). "QPC : le Conseil constitutionnel va se prononcer sur les inéligibilités résultant d'une exécution provisoire d'un jugement pénal de 1e instance". blog.landot-avocats.net (in French). Retrieved 7 January 2025.
  24. ^ a b Henri Clavier (17 March 2025). "Inéligibilité : la QPC sur laquelle se penche le Conseil constitutionnel peut-elle avoir un impact sur le procès de Marine Le Pen ?". publicsenat.fr (in French). Retrieved 26 March 2025.
  25. ^ Juliette Cua; Catherine Gouëset (22 June 2009). "Les hommes politiques condamnés et réélus". lexpress.fr (in French). Retrieved 20 March 2014.
  26. ^ Graziella Riou Harchaoui; Philippe Pascot (February 2014). fr:Max Milo Éditions [in French] (ed.). Délits d'élus : 400 politiques aux prises avec la justice (in French). Vol. 1. Max Milo. ISBN 9782315005444.
  27. ^ "L'Esprit public : Les politiques ont-ils un problème avec l'exemplarité ?" (podcast). Radio France (in French). 22 June 2025. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
  28. ^ a b c d e f g h Cathy Lafon (14 November 2024). "Avant Marine Le Pen : Emmanuelli, Juppé, Cahuzac, Balkany… Ces personnalités politiques déjà condamnées à l'inéligibilité". sudouest.fr (in French). Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  29. ^ a b c d Léa Morillon (2 March 2021). "Avant Nicolas Sarkozy, quelles personnalités politiques ont été condamnées à des peines de prison ?". ouest-france.fr (in French). Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  30. ^ a b c d e f g h Océane Blanchard (14 November 2024). "Marine Le Pen : quelles personnalités ont déjà été condamnées à une peine d'inéligibilité ?". fr.news.yahoo.com (in French). Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  31. ^ "Condamnation à deux ans d'inéligibilité de Catherine Mégret". universalis.fr (in French). 8 November 2000. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  32. ^ "L'ancien secrétaire d'État aux handicapés a été condamné". lemonde.fr (in French). 7 July 2004. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
  33. ^ "Procès de la Fondation Hamon : Pasqua combatif mais las face aux juges". lepoint.fr (in French). 19 May 2015. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
  34. ^ Emma Meulenyser (18 December 2024). "Affaire Bismuth : Nicolas Sarkozy définitivement condamné à trois ans de prison, dont un ferme". humanite.fr (in French). Retrieved 18 December 2024.
  35. ^ "Patrick Balkany demande à la justice de lever son inéligibilité en vue des municipales de 2026". lemonde.fr (in French). 30 November 2024. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  36. ^ a b Joséphine Pelois (25 November 2015). "Procès Fillon reporté : tout comprendre sur l'affaire des emplois fictifs en 3 minutes". capital.fr (in French). Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  37. ^ "L'ex-secrétaire d'État Georges Tron définitivement condamné pour viol et agressions sexuelles après le rejet de son pourvoi en cassation". francetvinfo.fr (in French). 8 December 2021. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
  38. ^ "L'ex-ministre de François Hollande, Philippe Martin est condamné pour détournement de fonds publics". ouest-france.fr (in French). 4 January 2022. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
  39. ^ Carla Bucero Lanzi (5 April 2022). "L'ancien député de Martinique, Alfred Marie-Jeanne, condamné à deux mois de prison avec sursis et deux ans d'inéligibilité". la1ere.francetvinfo.fr (in French). Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  40. ^ "Déclaration de patrimoine : l'ex-ministre Alain Griset condamné à quatre mois de prison avec sursis et trois ans d'inéligibilité". liberation.fr (in French). 4 January 2023. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  41. ^ "Une condamnation et des relaxes pour Pierre Ménès, jugé pour agressions sexuelles". lepoint.fr (in French). 19 April 2023. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  42. ^ Laura Lude (5 February 2024). "Procès Bayrou : Michel Mercier condamné pour détournement de fonds publics". leprogres.fr (in French). Retrieved 18 November 2024.
  43. ^ a b "Jean-Noël Guérini condamné en appel à de la prison ferme et à cinq ans d'inéligibilité pour le trucage de marchés publics". Le Monde.fr (in French). 30 March 2022. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  44. ^ "Marchés truqués : Jean-Noël Guérini condamné à de la prison ferme en appel". 20 Minutes (in French). 30 March 2022.
  45. ^ Marie-Astrid Guégan (3 April 2024). "L'ancien maire de Périgueux Xavier Darcos condamné à un an de prison avec sursis". francebleu.fr (in French). Retrieved 18 November 2024.
  46. ^ a b Pierre Emmanuel Garot (18 April 2024). "Confirmation de la peine d'inéligibilité pour Gaston Flosse dans l'affaire du faux bail". la1ere.francetvinfo.fr (in French). Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  47. ^ "Hubert Falco, ancien maire de Toulon, condamné en appel à cinq ans d'inéligibilité". lemonde.fr (in French). 14 May 2024. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  48. ^ Mathilde Ceilles (19 December 2024). "L'ancien maire de Toulon Hubert Falco demeure condamné à l'inéligibilité". lefigaro.fr (in French). Retrieved 7 January 2025.
  49. ^ "Le sénateur Reconquête ! Stéphane Ravier condamné à six mois de prison avec sursis et une inéligibilité d'un an". lavoixdunord.fr (in French). 29 May 2024. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  50. ^ "Prise illégale d'intérêts : Jean-Paul Huchon condamné à 8 mois de prison avec sursis". ouest-france.fr (in French). 26 June 2024. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
  51. ^ "Reconnu coupable de "prise illégale d'intérêts", Jean-Paul Huchon reste éligible". lemonde.fr (in French). 21 November 2008. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
  52. ^ "Jean-Paul Huchon condamné à un an d'inéligibilité pour "prise illégale d'intérêts"". lemonde.fr (in French). 21 February 2007. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
  53. ^ "Sénat : élection annulée et inéligibilité pour l'ancienne ministre Annick Girardin". lopinion.fr (in French). 13 September 2024. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
  54. ^ "L'ex-chef du PS Jean-Christophe Cambadélis condamné à 8 mois de prison avec sursis pour détournement de frais de mandat". lefigaro.fr (in French). 4 September 2024. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
  55. ^ "Marine Le Pen va faire appel de sa condamnation à cinq ans d'inéligibilité, annonce son avocat". liberation.fr (in French). 31 March 2025. Retrieved 31 March 2025.
  56. ^ "Assistants parlementaires du RN : le procès en appel de Marine Le Pen aura lieu à partir du 13 January 2026". la-croix.com (in French). 8 September 2025. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
  57. ^ "Procès du RN : Louis Aliot condamné à dix-huit mois de prison". ouest-france.fr (in French). 31 March 2025. Retrieved 31 March 2025.
  58. ^ Jérôme Diesnis (31 March 2025). "Procès du RN : Pourquoi Louis Aliot peut rester maire de Perpignan malgré sa condamnation". 20minutes.fr (in French). Retrieved 2 April 2025.
  59. ^ "Le conseiller régional RN Florent de Kersauson à nouveau condamné". france3-regions.franceinfo.fr (in French). 10 September 2025. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
  60. ^ "Prison avec sursis et inéligibilité : l'élu RN Florent de Kersauson fait appel". lannion-perros.maville.com (in French). 11 September 2025. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
  61. ^ Penal code, 131-26
  62. ^ Penal code, 131-26-1
  63. ^
  64. ^ Electoral code, LO128
This page will be placed in the following categories if it is moved to the article namespace.
Categories:
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Draft:Disqualification_of_convicted_representatives_in_France&oldid=1314343198"