Marine Le Pen Convicted of Embezzlement, Banned from Public Office

A French court found the far-right leader guilty of misusing over €3 million in EU funds, imposing an immediate five-year ban that disrupts her 2027 presidential bid.

Marine Le Pen was convicted of embezzling European Union funds intended for parliamentary assistants, redirecting them to pay National Rally party staff.
The court imposed a five-year ban from public office with immediate effect, preventing Le Pen from running in the 2027 presidential election.
Le Pen was also sentenced to four years in prison, with two years suspended, and fined €100,000, though enforcement is delayed pending appeal.
The ruling follows a Constitutional Council decision affirming the legality of immediate bans for convicted politicians, marking a significant shift in judicial influence on politics.
The National Rally faces uncertainty over its leadership, with Jordan Bardella, Le Pen's 29-year-old protégé, seen as a potential but untested successor.