Overview

• Marine Le Pen and her National Rally party were found guilty of misusing €3 million in European Union funds meant for parliamentary assistants to pay party staff in France.
• The Paris court imposed a five-year ban on Le Pen from public office, effective immediately, preventing her 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; her prison term is on hold pending appeal.
• Le Pen has denied wrongdoing and plans to appeal the verdict, though the ban remains in effect during the appeals process.
• Jordan Bardella, a 29-year-old protégé of Le Pen, is expected to lead the National Rally in the 2027 election, raising questions about his ability to replicate her electoral success.