The leader of the parliamentary party of the right-wing National Rally (RN) group was handed a four-year prison term, two of which is suspended while the other two are to be served via home arrest.

Le Pen is also banned from running for office for five years.

“I don’t know the nature of the accusations made against Marine Le Pen, nor the reasons for such a tough decision,” Meloni told daily newspaper Il Messaggero.

“But I think that no one who cares about democracy can celebrate a ruling that affects the leader of a major party and takes away the representation of millions of citizens.”

On Monday, Italian Deputy Prime Minister Transport Minister Matteo Salvini took to social media to say that Brussels has declared war on Le Pen after the sentence was announced.

“Those who fear the judgment of voters are often reassured by the judgment of the courts,” said Salvini , whose League party belongs to the Patriots for Europe group with RN.

“In Paris, they have condemned Marine Le Pen and would like to exclude her from political life.

“It’s a bad film that we are also seeing in other countries, such as Romania.

“That [ruling] against Marine Le Pen is a declaration of war by Brussels, at a time when the warlike impulses of [European Commission President Ursula] Von der Leyen and [French President Emmanuel] Macron are frightening.

“We will not be intimidated, we will not stop: full steam ahead my friend!”

ANSA