French right-wing politician Marine Le Pen has been handed a four-year jail sentence—two of which must be served behind bars—over embezzlement charges tied to EU funds used by her National Rally (RN) party. The Paris court ruling also prohibits her from running for public office for five years, effectively blocking her 2027 presidential bid.
The case, which has been unfolding for years, accused Le Pen and several RN members of misusing European Parliament funds between 2004 and 2016, redirecting money meant for MEP offices into the party’s operations. Alongside Le Pen, eight MEPs were convicted for their roles in the scheme.
Despite her intent to appeal, the five-year election ban takes effect immediately, as upheld by France’s Constitutional Court last week in a separate ruling.
The court granted Le Pen partial leniency, allowing her to serve half of her sentence under home arrest with electronic monitoring. Meanwhile, other convicted RN members received prison terms ranging from 12 months to three years.
RN president Jordan Bardella slammed the verdict as an “execution of French democracy,” while Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban publicly supported Le Pen, posting “I am Marine” in French on X.
Although she stepped down as RN leader in 2022, Le Pen remains a major political force as the head of the party’s faction in the National Assembly. Known for her strong stance on immigration and EU policies, she has frequently clashed with Brussels over issues like Ukraine and border control.
As part of the ruling, RN faces a €2 million ($2.2 million) fine and the seizure of previously confiscated funds.
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