"The judiciary is independent", French President Emmanuel Macron said today, quoted by Agence France-Presse, BTA reports.
He made the statement at a meeting of the French government in response to the reactions following the court ruling against far-right leader Marine Le Pen. The day before yesterday, the court imposed a five-year ban on holding public office - a sentence that effectively deprives her of the opportunity to run in the next presidential elections in France in 2027.
Macron also commented on criticism of the judiciary, stressing that "magistrates must be protected" from external pressure and political interference.