France’s Marine Le Pen barred from running for public office for 5 years after embezzlement conviction: Media

Marine Le Pen, the leader of France’s far-right National Assembly, has been barred from running for public office for five years following a conviction for misappropriating EU funds, according to French media and Reuters. The decision is a significant turning point in French politics, potentially derailing her 2027 presidential election aspirations and throwing her party into turmoil after a rapid rise in popularity.

Le Pen and eight members of her party's MEPs (members of the European Parliament) were found guilty of embezzlement on Monday. The conviction could have resulted in a 300,000 euro ($325,000) fine, a prison term, and an immediate five-year ban from public office. The ban would prevent Le Pen from running in the 2027 presidential election.

The court ruled that the crimes committed by Le Pen and her co-defendants warranted an immediate ban from public office. Le Pen was also handed a four-year prison sentence, with two years suspended, and a fine of 100,000 euros. These punishments will not take effect while the appeals process is ongoing, but the ban from public office is immediate.

The far-right leader reportedly left the court before the duration of her public office ban was announced. The verdict has thrown France’s powerful right wing into chaos as Le Pen was leading opinion polls ahead of the next presidential vote.

Le Pen and 24 other members of her political party, National Rally, were accused of diverting over 3 million euros ($3.3 million) of European Parliament funds to pay France-based staff. Le Pen and her co-defendants denied the charges, describing the trial as a politically-motivated witch hunt.

Twelve assistants tried alongside the MEPs were also found guilty of receiving stolen goods. The court estimated the total damages at 2.9 million euros, accusing the party of having the European Parliament pay for staff who were actually working for the party.

State prosecutors had requested late last year that Le Pen face an immediate five-year ban from public office if found guilty, using a "provisional execution" measure that would disregard any appeals process, Reuters reported.

Ahead of the verdict, Le Pen expressed hope for clemency from the Paris Criminal Court judges. "I don’t think they’ll go that far," she stated in an interview.

The conviction cast a shadow over a strong renaissance for the National Rally, which won the first round of a snap parliamentary election last summer before losing to the country's leftwing alliance in the second round.

The political landscape in France has been tumultuous, with President Macron calling a snap election last year after a heavy defeat at EU elections. The subsequent government under centrist Michel Barnier failed to get support for its 2025 budget plans from the left and right, leading to the appointment of a new centrist government under Francois Bayrou. Despite passing the budget through concessions to the left, the new government remains vulnerable to political pressure from both directions.