Overview

• Marine Le Pen was convicted of embezzling €4.6 million in EU funds, sentenced to four years in prison, and banned from running for office for five years, effective immediately.
• The French judiciary’s ruling prevents Le Pen from participating in the 2027 presidential election, though she is appealing the decision through national and European courts.
• Protests by Le Pen supporters continue, with the Rassemblement National portraying her as a victim of political conspiracy and judicial overreach.
• Donald Trump and Viktor Orbán have publicly criticized the conviction, with Trump labeling it a 'witch hunt,' drawing backlash from French Prime Minister François Bayrou, who called such remarks interference.
• The conviction has prompted a shift within the Rassemblement National, with the party adopting a more radical tone reminiscent of its earlier identity as the Front National.