In a significant judicial decision, Marine Le Pen, the leader of the French far-right political party National Rally, has been prohibited from running for president in 2027 after being found guilty of systematic embezzlement of European Parliament funds. The court’s ruling immediately disqualifies her from holding any public office. This outcome marks a devastating blow to Le Pen’s political career, as she had been planning her fourth consecutive presidential campaign.

Le Pen, who is currently 56 years old, had previously warned that an immediate ban on her candidacy would be equivalent to a “political death sentence,” and that judges held the power to “decide the fate of our movement.” In response, she is expected to file an immediate appeal against the judgment.

The court sentenced Le Pen to a five-year ban from running for public office, a punishment that will stand even if she appeals the decision. Additionally, she was handed a four-year prison sentence, with two years suspended, and fined €100,000. Le Pen fled the court before the verdict was read in its entirety.

Furthermore, Le Pen along with 24 party members, including nine former members of the European Parliament and their 12 parliamentary assistants, were found guilty of orchestrating an extended and substantial scheme to misappropriate European Parliamentary funds. The scheme involved reallocating monies designated for European Parliament assistants to remunerate French party workers, resulting in a loss of €4.5 million to European taxpayers. It was noted that these parliamentary assistants were required to work directly on Strasbourg parliamentary matters, a condition that was not met according to the court’s findings.

Although Le Pen will not be expelled from her current position as a member of the French Parliament for Pas-de-Calais, she will not be allowed to stand in any future parliamentary elections during the period of her ban.

Le Pen has previously run for the French presidency three times and reached the final runoff stage against Emmanuel Macron on two occasions. Following the 2024 snap parliamentary elections, her National Rally party emerged as the largest in parliament. She had hoped to capitalize on this momentum to secure the Élysée Palace in 2027 with an anti-immigration platform.

In a recent address to the trial, Le Pen maintained her innocence, stating, “I feel entirely innocent of any wrongdoing or unlawful action.”

The political vacuum left by Le Pen’s ineligibility will now have to be filled by the National Rally party. Jordan Bardella, the 29-year-old president of the party and a member of the European Parliament, is a popular figure among voters. Despite his popularity, Bardella is viewed as lacking substantial experience which could pose as a challenge in replacing Le Pen in the upcoming French presidential race.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/31/marine-le-pen-barred-from-running-for-french-presidency-in-2027