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A French court has handed far-right leader Marine Le Pen a five-year ban from running for office, dealing a major blow to her ambitions for the 2027 presidential race. The ruling also included a four-year prison sentence to be served under electronic surveillance.
Le Pen, along with eight other figures from her National Rally (RN) party, was found guilty of misusing European Parliament funds to pay party staff under the guise of parliamentary assistants. The scheme, estimated at 2.9 million euros, also led to the conviction of 12 assistants for concealing a crime.
The judge ruled that the political bans take effect immediately, even if an appeal is lodged, citing the risk of reoffending and potential public unrest if Le Pen were allowed to run in 2027. The three-time presidential candidate has denied any wrongdoing and left the courtroom before the sentencing details were read.
The verdict sparked outrage among far-right leaders. Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban voiced support for Le Pen with a post reading “Je suis Marine!” on X, while the Kremlin’s spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, criticised the ruling as a violation of democratic norms.
Le Pen’s protégé and RN party leader, Jordan Bardella, 29, denounced the decision, calling it an “execution of French democracy.” Le Pen recently endorsed Bardella as a potential future president, but questions remain over his political experience.
Despite her legal troubles, Le Pen’s party has gained significant traction, emerging as the largest in parliament after the 2024 legislative elections. Polls indicate she would have been a frontrunner in the 2027 election, driven by public concerns over immigration and the economy.
Even some of her political opponents expressed discomfort with the ruling. Former EU commissioner Thierry Breton said that many French citizens align with Le Pen’s views, and he would be “very upset” if she were unable to represent them in the next election.
