Marine Le Pen found guilty of embezzling EU funds, banned from 2027 presidential bid
French far-right politician Marine Le Pen and eight MEPs from her Rassemblement National (RN) party were found guilty of embezzling EU funds by a Paris criminal court on Monday. The conviction means that Le Pen will not be able to take part in the 2027 French presidential election.
Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right Rassemblement National, was found guilty of using EU funds to pay assistants who actually worked for the party between 2004 and 2016. Le Pen has always denied the charges. Eight party colleagues were also convicted, along with 12 of their assistants.
The judge sentenced Le Pen, 56, to four years in prison, including two years of electronic monitoring, and a fine of 100,000 euros. She has also been banned from running for public office for five years, meaning she will not be able to run in the 2027 presidential election.
Le Pen is expected to appeal the court's decision. While the jail sentence and fine will only take effect once Le Pen's appeals are exhausted, her 5-year ineligibility will take effect immediately.
Far-right supports Le Pen
After exchanging a few words with her lawyer, Le Pen left the courtroom before hearing the verdict. She got into a waiting car and drove to the RN headquarters in Paris to meet with party leader Jordan Bardella.
Bardella, who is expected to run in Le Pen's place in 2027, reacted to the verdict on social media. "Today, it is not only Marine Le Pen who is being unjustly condemned: it is French democracy that has been executed," he wrote on X.
Other far-right EU leaders also expressed their support for Le Pen on X. "Je suis Marine!," Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban posted, while Italy's deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini believes the sentencing is a "declaration of war by Brussels". Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders, meanwhile, said he is "shocked by the incredible [sic] tough verdict".
PHOTO © Alain JOCARD / AFP
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