In what her allies are calling a political attack to remove her from the 2027 presidential race, French conservative leader Marine Le Pen has been convicted of embezzlement.
A French court sentenced Le Pen to four years in prison and barred her from running for office for five years, effectively sidelining France’s most prominent right-wing politician.
Le Pen was found guilty of misappropriating European Parliament funds by allegedly using money meant for parliamentary assistants to pay for National Rally party activities.
The court sentenced her to four years in prison (two of which are suspended) and imposed a hefty 100,000 euro fine.
Most significantly, the judges barred Le Pen from holding public office for five years, potentially derailing her widely anticipated 2027 presidential run.
The ruling comes at a time when Le Pen’s popularity has been surging.
Recent polls showed she would win the first round of the next presidential election with roughly 42% of the vote.
With current President Emmanuel Macron unable to run for a third term, Le Pen was positioned as the front-runner in a wide-open race.
Jordan Bardella, the 29-year-old president of the National Rally party, did not mince words about what he believes is happening.
He said Le Pen had been “unjustly condemned” and that French democracy had been “executed.”
International allies of Le Pen have also expressed outrage at the verdict. Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini called the ruling a “bad film” and a “declaration of war by Brussels” against movements challenging the European establishment.
🚨BREAKING: Marine Le Pen has been sentenced to 4 years in Jail and BANNED from holding Public Office for 5 years.
The ban disqualifies her from running in the 2027 French Presidential Election and comes into force even if she appeals.
Today is the day democracy died in France. pic.twitter.com/RIBfa2GHBN
— Cillian (@CilComLFC) March 31, 2025
The court’s justification for the harsh sentence raised eyebrows among legal experts.
Judge Benedicte de Perthuis claimed Le Pen was “at the heart” of the alleged scheme, which prosecutors say involved over 40 fictitious contracts totaling 4.6 million euros over nearly 12 years.
However, critics note that the timing of the case’s resolution just before the next election cycle appears suspiciously convenient for Le Pen’s political opponents.
Le Pen has vowed to appeal the verdict, which will delay enforcement of both the prison sentence and the fine.
However, the five-year ineligibility period remains a serious threat to her political future.
The French Constitutional Council is expected to weigh in on whether elected officials can be immediately barred from running for office before appeals are exhausted.
The case has sparked heated debate about the judiciary’s role in French politics.
Le Pen’s National Rally party has gained significant traction with younger voters and the working class, threatening the dominance of establishment parties.
Critics suggest this prosecution represents another example of administrative overreach being used to silence political opposition when ballot boxes fail to produce the desired results.
Despite facing multiple legal challenges throughout her career, Le Pen has successfully transformed her party from a fringe movement into a mainstream political force.
The court’s decision to potentially end her political career through judicial means rather than at the ballot box raises troubling questions about the state of freedom in France and throughout Europe.
