French court deals blow to far-right leader Le Pen with 5-year political ban

Paris: A French court delivered an unexpected blow to Marine Le Pen’s political future on Monday, barring the far-right leader from seeking public office for five years with immediate effect after finding her guilty of embezzlement.

The ruling sends shockwaves through French politics, potentially eliminating one of the leading contenders to succeed President Emmanuel Macron when his second and final term concludes in 2027.

Le Pen abruptly left the courtroom before the full sentence was announced, departing when the judge first indicated she would be barred from office but before specifying the duration.

“Incredible,” Le Pen whispered at one point during the proceedings before gathering her belongings and walking out, her heels audibly clicking on the hardwood floor. The court also sentenced Le Pen to two years’ imprisonment under house arrest, but it’s the political ineligibility that poses the greatest threat to her career.

Jordan Bardella, the 29-year-old who succeeded Le Pen as party leader in 2021 and who could potentially replace her on the 2027 presidential ballot, quickly defended her on social media. “Marine Le Pen is being unjustly condemned,” Bardella wrote on X, adding that French democracy “is being executed.”

The verdict found that Le Pen was at the centre of “a system” used by her party to misappropriate European Parliament funds. Although the judge noted Le Pen and the other defendants didn’t personally enrich themselves, the ruling described their actions as “a democratic bypass” that deceived both the parliament and voters.

Support for Le Pen came from various quarters, including Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who posted “Je suis Marine!” on social media.

Even some political opponents expressed concern about the ruling’s implications. Conservative lawmaker Laurent Wauquiez said the court decision put “a very heavy weight on our democracy.”

The case involved a total of 21 convictions, including eight current or former members of Le Pen’s party who previously served as European Parliament lawmakers and 12 others who worked as parliamentary aides.

Le Pen and her co-defendants were accused of using money intended for EU parliamentary aides to pay staff who actually worked for the party between 2004 and 2016, violating EU regulations. Throughout the trial, all defendants maintained their innocence. During the nine-week trial in late 2024, Le Pen argued that being declared ineligible “would have the effect of depriving me of being a presidential candidate.”

“There are 11 million people who voted for the movement I represent. So tomorrow, potentially, millions and millions of French people would see themselves deprived of their candidate in the election,” she told the panel of three judges.

Le Pen, 56, was the runner-up to Macron in both the 2017 and 2022 presidential elections, with her party’s electoral support steadily growing over the years. She has previously described such a ban as a “political death”.

While Le Pen can appeal the verdict, such action would not suspend the ineligibility period. Only a successful appeal overturning the ban could restore her presidential ambitions, but with the 2027 election just two years away, time is running short.

Prosecutors had requested exactly what the court delivered: a two-year prison sentence and a five-year period of ineligibility. During the trial, Le Pen claimed prosecutors were “only interested” in preventing her from running for president.

Evidence presented during the hearings showed that some EU funds were used to pay for Le Pen’s bodyguard—who previously served as her father’s security—as well as her personal assistant.

Le Pen denied leading a system designed to misappropriate EU parliament funds, arguing instead that it was acceptable to adapt parliamentary aides’ work to lawmakers’ needs, including some party-related political activities.