Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni referred in a statement to Il Messaggero to the French judiciary’s condemnation of Marine Le Pen in a statement.

“I do not know the content of the charges against Marine Le Pen, nor the reasons for such a heavy sentence. But I think that no one who cares about democracy can celebrate a decision that affects the leader of a major party and deprives millions of citizens of the possibility of representation,” the Italian prime minister said.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, meanwhile, stressed that “my view is that all citizens are innocent until the final judgment of justice.” He also added that “the decision to use an electronic bracelet is somewhat odd because it is not a dangerous person.”