French far-right leader Marine Le Pen has been barred from seeking public office for five years after a court found her guilty of embezzlement, a ruling that could derail her 2027 presidential ambitions.
Le Pen, 56, who finished second to President Emmanuel Macron in the 2017 and 2022 elections, was convicted alongside eight other current or former party members of misusing European Parliament funds. The court found they had redirected EU money meant for parliamentary aides to pay party staff between 2004 and 2016.
While Le Pen and her co-defendants denied wrongdoing, the judge ruled she was central to “a system” that improperly used public funds. Although the ruling does not accuse her of personal enrichment, it described the scheme as a “democratic bypass” that deceived both the European Parliament and voters.
The verdict bars Le Pen from running for president in 2027, a decision she described as a “political death.” She has the right to appeal, but her ineligibility remains in effect unless overturned. Prosecutors had sought a two-year prison sentence in addition to the five-year ban.
Le Pen, who left the courtroom without speaking to reporters, grew visibly agitated during the ruling, whispering “incredible” as details of the verdict were read. The trial also implicated 12 former parliamentary aides and revealed EU funds were used to pay for her personal assistant and bodyguard.
The ruling could reshape France’s far-right landscape, potentially elevating Jordan Bardella, 29, as her successor for the 2027 race.