Le Pen guilty of embezzling European parliament funds

National Rally leader barred from standing in 2027 election

- TOM WATLING ANDY GREGORY

Marine Le Pen has been banned from running in France’s 2027 presidential election after being found guilty of embezzling funds from the European parliament. The leader of the far-right National Rally (RN), a frontrunner in the polls for the presidency in 2027, was among a number of party officials accused of diverting close to €3m (£2.5m) of European parliament funds to pay France-based staff.

Yesterday, a judge granted prosecutors their request that Le Pen face an immediate five-year ban from public office, regardless of any appeal process, using a so-called “provisional execution” measure. The far-right leader was fined $100,000 and handed a four-year jail sentence – of which two years will be a suspended sentence and the other two served under house arrest.

While the ban from public office is effective immediately, it is understood that the jail sentence and fine will not take effect until Le Pen has exhausted her appeals against the judge’s ruling.

In a moment of high drama, Le Pen stood up and stormed out of the court midway through the verdict yesterday. She was then driven away from the courthouse, and is reported to have since arrived at RN’s Paris headquarters.

The ruling marks an extraordinary moment in French politics, with potentially seismic implications. While Le Pen’s domestic and international allies – including the likes of Italy’s Matteo Salvini and Hungary’s Viktor Orban – condemned the verdict, some of her political opponents also expressed unease.