Marine Le Pen Banned from Office for 5 Years Over EU Funds Misuse

Marine Le Pen, the leader of France's far-right National Rally party, has been banned from running for public office for five years due to misappropriation of European Union funds. This ruling marks a significant turning point in French politics, as it effectively dashes Le Pen's hopes of running in the 2027 presidential election and throws her party into disarray following a rapid rise in support in recent years. It is widely expected that Le Pen will appeal the verdict.

Earlier on Monday, Le Pen and eight other members of the European Parliament from her party were found guilty of embezzlement. The court subsequently ruled that Le Pen and her co-defendants should be immediately barred from holding public office, thereby preventing her from participating in the 2027 presidential election. Le Pen was also sentenced to four years in prison, with two years suspended and two years to be served with an electronic tag, and fined 100,000 euros. However, the fines will not be enforced pending the appeal process. The ban on holding public office is effective immediately.

Reports indicate that Le Pen, the leader of the far-right, left the court before learning the duration of her ban from running for public office. This outcome has thrown France's powerful right-wing into chaos, as Le Pen was leading in opinion polls ahead of the next presidential election. Jordan Bardella, the chairman of the National Rally party and seen as Le Pen's right-hand man, posted on the social media platform X after the verdict, stating, "Today, not only is Marine Le Pen being unjustly condemned, but French democracy is being put to death."

Le Pen and 24 other members of the National Rally party were accused of misusing over 3 million euros (3.3 million USD) in European Parliament funds to pay French staff. Le Pen and her co-defendants denied the allegations, with the party claiming the trial was politically motivated persecution. Twelve assistants who were tried alongside the parliamentarians were also found guilty of receiving stolen goods. The court estimated that the total loss, through having the European Parliament "handle those who actually worked for the far-right party," amounted to 2.9 million euros.

The French prosecution had called for the most severe penalties against Le Pen and other party officials, requesting at the end of last year that, if found guilty, Le Pen be immediately banned from holding public office for five years using so-called "provisional enforcement" measures, disregarding any appeal process. However, it noted that judges could adopt, modify, or ignore the prosecution's requests. Before the verdict, Le Pen had expressed hope that the judges of the Paris Criminal Court would show leniency.