Marine Le Pen Convicted of Embezzlement and Barred from Public Office

PARIS, France - 31 March 2025

Marine Le Pen, leader of France's far-right National Rally (Rassemblement National, RN), has been convicted of embezzling European Union funds and sentenced to a five-year ban from seeking public office. The Paris court also imposed a four-year prison sentence, with two years to be served under house arrest, and a €100,000 fine. This ruling effectively precludes her from participating in the 2027 presidential election.

The conviction stems from allegations that Le Pen and 24 other RN members misappropriated at least €4 million in EU funds between 2004 and 2016. These funds, intended to pay for parliamentary assistants in Brussels, were reportedly diverted to finance domestic party activities in France. The court found that Le Pen personally misused €474,000 during her tenure as a Member of the European Parliament. 

This verdict has thrown the National Rally into turmoil, as the party must now identify a new candidate for the upcoming presidential race. Jordan Bardella, the 29-year-old current president of the RN, is considered a potential successor, though concerns have been raised about his relative inexperience. ​

Le Pen has denounced the court's decision as a politically motivated attempt to derail her presidential ambitions. She announced plans to appeal the ruling, stating, "This is a disastrous day for democracy." Her party has called for nationwide protests against the verdict, asserting that the French electorate is being unjustly deprived of their choice. ​

Internationally, the ruling has elicited varied reactions. U.S. President Donald Trump remarked, "I know all about it and a lot of people thought she wasn’t going to be convicted for anything."

Image: VOX España/Flickr

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