Paris – In a landmark ruling, a French court found Marine Le Pen guilty on Monday in a high-profile embezzlement case that could jeopardize her political future. The verdict raises serious concerns about her ability to contest the 2027 presidential elections, a scenario she has previously described as her potential “political death”.
Le Pen, seated in the front row of the Paris courtroom, remained composed as the chief judge read the decision. Alongside her, eight other current or former members of her far-right National Rally party—previously known as the National Front—were also found guilty of embezzling public funds during their tenure as elected lawmakers in the European Parliament.
The ruling marks a major setback for Le Pen, 56, who finished as the runner-up to President Emmanuel Macron in both the 2017 and 2022 elections. With growing electoral support in recent years, her party has been positioning itself as a formidable political force in France.
Potential Consequences: Jail Time and Political Ineligibility
Le Pen and her co-defendants face a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison, though they retain the right to appeal, which would lead to another trial. The most immediate concern, however, is the possibility that the court could declare her ineligible to run for office “with immediate effect” If enforced, this ruling could bar her from challenging for the presidency in 2027.
During the nine-week trial in late 2024, Le Pen warned that such an outcome would be a severe blow to democratic representation.
“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.
If Le Pen is unable to run, her most likely successor would be Jordan Bardella, a 29-year-old rising star in French politics and Le Pen’s handpicked protégé, who took over as leader of the National Rally in 2021.
A Systematic Misuse of EU Funds
The court ruling stated that Le Pen’s party engaged in an orchestrated scheme to siphon off EU parliamentary funds between 2004 and 2016. The case involved 24 other party officials who allegedly misused money intended for European Parliament aides, instead diverting it to pay staffers working for the party in violation of EU regulations.
Among the most striking revelations from the hearings was evidence that some of the misappropriated EU funds were used to pay for Le Pen’s personal bodyguard—who previously served as her father’s bodyguard—as well as her personal assistant.
Le Pen has consistently denied wrongdoing, maintaining that lawmakers had the right to allocate their aides’ work in a way that suited their parliamentary duties. “It was acceptable to adapt the work of the aides paid by the European Parliament to the needs of the lawmakers, including some highly political work related to the party”, she argued in court.
Prosecutors Seek Prison Sentence and Five-Year Ban
Prosecutors have requested a two-year prison sentence and a five-year period of ineligibility for Le Pen, arguing that the misallocation of funds was systematic and intentional.
Le Pen, however, remains defiant, stating that the case is politically motivated and aimed at preventing her from contesting the presidency in 2027. “They are only interested in preventing me from running for president”, she said.
As the legal battle unfolds, the verdict casts a shadow over the future of the far-right movement in France and raises crucial questions about its leadership ahead of the next presidential election.
