A French court convicted far-right leader Marine Le Pen of embezzlement on Monday, sentencing her to a five-year ban from holding public office, effectively disqualifying her from the 2027 presidential election. The ruling follows allegations that Le Pen and members of her National Rally (RN) party misused European Parliament funds to pay party workers in France who had no role in the EU legislature.
The case revolved around the RN’s fraudulent use of European Parliament funds between 2004 and 2016. Prosecutors argued that the party operated a “war machine” to divert EU funds by falsely listing staff members as parliamentary assistants. Evidence showed some individuals, including Le Pen’s chauffeur and bodyguard, had no parliamentary duties. The scheme cost European taxpayers an estimated €4 million.
The Paris prosecutor’s office began investigating the misuse of EU funds in December 2016, suspecting Le Pen and other RN members of improperly paying party staff with European public money. Prosecutors requested a trial in 2023 for over 20 RN figures, including Le Pen’s father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, as well as Perpignan Mayor Louis Aliot and RN deputy Bruno Gollnisch, for further collusion and embezzlement charges.
Le Pen denied wrongdoing and vowed to appeal, calling the ruling politically motivated, in a post on X. She stated that the judge implemented the provisional enforcement of her ineligibility, which affects her appeal in the case, to prevent Le Pen from running for the presidential elections.
She was also sentenced to a four-year prison term—two years suspended and two under home detention—alongside a €100,000 fine. However, these penalties will not apply until appeals are exhausted, a process that could take years.
The ruling sparked outrage among far-right figures, with RN party chief Jordan Bardella calling for nationwide protests. He condemned he decision as undemocratic. Bardella announced plans for peaceful demonstrations, leafleting, and meetings around France to rally support for Le Pen.
Despite RN’s backlash, a poll by Elabe for French media outlet BFM TV revealed mixed public sentiment. Fifty-seven percent of respondents viewed the ruling as justified, while forty-two percent considered it politically biased. Only twenty-nine percent expressed outright dissatisfaction, while another twenty-nine percent were indifferent.
Le Pen, who had been the frontrunner for 2027, refused to concedeleadership and declared that they would keep defending the right of the French people to vote freely for their chosen candidate.