Marine Le Pen, the leader of France’s far-right National Rally party, was convicted of embezzlement by a French court on Monday and banned from seeking any public office for five years. This ruling is a major blow to her presidential ambitions and a significant moment in French politics.
Le Pen’s lawyer announced plans to appeal the decision, but she will remain ineligible for public office during the appeal, which could prevent her from running in the 2027 presidential election. She was also sentenced to two years of house arrest.
This court decision has major political consequences, especially for Le Pen, who was a top contender to replace President Emmanuel Macron. Even some of Le Pen’s political opponents expressed concerns about the severity of the ruling.
Le Pen was not in the courtroom to hear the sentence. When the judge first mentioned that she would be banned from office, Le Pen left the room, not waiting for the full details. While she did not comment immediately, her supporters quickly voiced their disagreement. Jordan Bardella, a close ally of Le Pen, said on X (formerly Twitter) that the ruling was unjust and called it an attack on French democracy.
Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán also expressed his support for Le Pen by posting “Je suis Marine!” on social media. Some of her political rivals, like conservative lawmaker Laurent Wauquiez, expressed concern, saying the verdict hurt democracy.
This ruling could prevent Le Pen from running for president in 2027, something she has described as a “political death.” Le Pen, who came in second in the 2017 and 2022 presidential elections, has seen her political support grow. If the appeal overturns the decision, she could still run, but the appeals process in France can take years, and the election is just two years away.
Le Pen and 24 other members of her party were accused of misusing European Union funds meant for parliamentary assistants, using the money to pay staff members for party work from 2004 to 2016. The court found Le Pen guilty, along with eight other former or current members of the European Parliament. Twelve others, including former assistants, were also convicted, while one person was acquitted.
The judge stated that Le Pen was at the center of a system that misused European Union funds, although there was no evidence that she personally benefited from the scheme. The court described the embezzlement as a “democratic bypass” that deceived both the European Parliament and voters.
Le Pen reacted quietly at first when the judge announced her guilty verdict, but she became visibly upset as more details were revealed. As the sentence was read, she muttered “Incredible” and quickly left the courtroom, leaving everyone stunned.
Le Pen’s lawyer, Rodolphe Bosselut, strongly criticized the ruling, calling it “scandalous” and vowed to appeal.
During the nine-week trial, Le Pen argued that the ruling would unfairly prevent her from being a presidential candidate, depriving millions of her supporters of a choice in the upcoming election. She pointed out that 11 million people voted for her movement.
Le Pen still serves as a member of France’s National Assembly, a role not affected by the court ruling. However, if President Macron calls for early elections, she would be unable to run.
This case marks a difficult moment for Le Pen and her party, which faces an uncertain future as they await the outcome of the appeal.
