The court in Paris has found far-right leader Marine Le Pen guilty of embezzling public money along with eight other European Parliament members from her party, the National Rally.
Le Pen Banned from Elections
The court announced that Le Pen is immediately banned from running for elections. This decision could stop her from competing in the 2027 presidential race. The judge stated that elected officials should not receive special treatment.
After the ruling, Le Pen left the courtroom without making a statement. Le Pen’s biggest fear was that the court would prevent her from running for office right away, even if she appealed. She had called this possibility her “political death.”
More details
The court estimated that the total damage was €2.9 million. It found that Le Pen and her party members used European Parliament funds to pay assistants who were actually working for the party. The case focused on “fake contracts” between 2004 and 2016. Prosecutors argued that Le Pen and other accused politicians hired staff who did not actually work for the European Parliament but instead served the party’s interests.
Impact on the 2027 Presidential Race
Polls had placed Le Pen as the leading candidate for the first round of the 2027 election, with support between 34% and 37%. However, she had previously lost in the second round against Emmanuel Macron in both 2017 and 2022.
French Prime Minister expressed dismay at the court’s decision against Marine Le Pen, suggesting concerns over its impact on democracy and political competition. Weirdly Tech billionaire Elon Musk commented on the ruling, stating that preventing Marine Le Pen from running for president in France would be “counterproductive.”
Le Pen and her co-defendants have denied all charges. Her lawyer confirmed that she will appeal the court’s decision.
