Far-Right Leader Marine Le Pen Banned from Running for Office Over Fraud Conviction

France's far-right leader Marine Le Pen has been handed a suspended prison sentence and barred from running for public office for five years, after a Paris court found her guilty of misusing European Parliament funds.

In a ruling issued on March 31, the court sentenced Le Pen to four years in prison—two of which are suspended, while the remaining two will be served under electronic monitoring. The court also imposed an immediate five-year ban on her eligibility to run for public office, effective even if she appeals the decision.

Le Pen, 56, and nine other members of her National Rally (RN) party were convicted for orchestrating a scheme to siphon off European Parliament funds by employing aides who in fact worked full-time for the party. Twelve former aides were also convicted of concealing the fraudulent activities. The court estimated the misuse of funds totaled around $3.1 million.

Presiding judge Bénédicte de Perthuis said Le Pen played a central role in “a system” that allowed her party to embezzle public money. While the funds were not used for personal enrichment, the court described the fraud as a serious breach of democratic integrity that deceived both parliament and voters.

Le Pen, a three-time presidential candidate and runner-up to Emmanuel Macron in 2017 and 2022, denies any wrongdoing. She left the courtroom shortly after the five-year electoral ban was announced, before the sentencing was fully read out.

The verdict is a major blow to Le Pen’s political future. Her party surged to become the largest in parliament following the 2024 legislative elections, and she had been widely seen as a front-runner for the 2027 presidential race—driven by voter concerns over immigration and rising living costs.

Polls had suggested Le Pen was likely to top the first round of voting and face off against a single opponent in a decisive second-round runoff. That prospect now appears uncertain following the court’s decision, which effectively sidelines her from France’s political arena for the foreseeable future.

Despite political divisions, some opponents of Le Pen expressed unease at the idea of her exclusion from the democratic process.

“Many French citizens identify with her message and her fight,” said Thierry Breton, France’s former EU commissioner. “Speaking personally, I would be saddened if she were unable to stand for election and represent them.”

(Sources: AFP, Reuters, AP)

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