Legal troubles for Marine Le Pen: Prosecution threatens her 2027 presidency bid

A French court has found Marine Le Pen, the leader of the far-right, guilty of embezzling European Union funds.

The court in Paris determined that Le Pen misused over 3 million euros ($3.3m) of European Parliament funds for payment to members of her National Rally party. This verdict jeopardizes her position in the 2027 presidential race, where she is currently the front-runner according to opinion polls.

The upcoming sentencing could potentially disqualify Le Pen from running for office. She has accused prosecutors of aiming for her “political death”. Additionally, the possibility of a jail sentence and a substantial monetary penalty is looming.

“If Marine Le Pen’s candidacy is halted, it could drastically alter the landscape of the French far right and their future prospects,” reported Al Jazeera’s Natacha Butler from the Paris courtroom. “Most likely, Jordan Bardella, the current president of RN, would step in as her replacement.

“However, Bardella is much younger and lacks Marine Le Pen’s influence. He may struggle to achieve the same level of success in the 2027 race due to relatively lower recognition among the French population,” Butler added.

“On the other hand, some suggest that a fresh face might be exactly what’s needed for the party.”

This story is still developing; more updates will follow …