Overview

• Marine Le Pen was found guilty of embezzling EU funds to pay party staff instead of parliamentary assistants between 2004 and 2016.
• The court imposed a four-year prison sentence, with two years under house arrest with an electronic ankle monitor and two years suspended, along with a €100,000 fine.
• Le Pen is barred from running for political office for five years, a decision effective immediately, despite her plans to appeal the ruling.
• Her party, Rassemblement National, has called for nationwide protests, framing the ruling as politically motivated and a threat to democracy.
• Jordan Bardella, Le Pen's protégé, is expected to lead the party in the 2027 presidential election as she faces a lengthy legal battle.