France: Le Pen discovered responsible in embezzlement trial
A French court ruled against far-right leader Marine Le Pen and her National Rally (RN) party on Monday, finding her guilty of misappropriating European Union funds.
Le Pen had said ahead of the verdict that a guilty ruling could lead to her “political death.”
Although the court ruled that Le Pen and the RN misused €3 million ($3.25 million) in European Parliament funds meant for parliamentary assistants, her sentence and whether she will be barred from running for president in 2027 have not yet been announced.
She could face up to 10 years in prison and being banned from politics for at least 5 years.
Prosecutors had alleged that the money in question was used to pay France-based party staff between 2004 and 2016, violating EU rules.
Le Pen, 56, denied any wrongdoing, calling the case a political attack aimed at ending her career.
“There are 11 million people who voted for the movement I represent,” said Le Pen, adding that a verdict against her would mean “potentially millions of French people seeing themselves deprived of their candidate in the election.”
Le Pen’s political future at stake
Prosecutors have asked that Le Pen face an immediate five-year ban from public office if found guilty, regardless of any appeal process.
This could prevent her from running in the 2027 presidential election, where she is a leading contender. An appeal would trigger a retrial, likely in 2026, just months before the vote.
Le Pen’s party said the trial is a judicial overreach, similar to what US President Donald Trump had said about his legal troubles in the past.
“With provisional execution, the judges have the power of life or death over our movement,” she said. “But I don’t think they’ll go that far.”
Some of her rivals, including Prime Minister Francois Bayrou, have expressed concern over courts deciding who can run for office.
If not Le Pen, then who?
An acquittal would bolster Le Pen’s efforts to bring the National Rally more toward the mainstream and distance it from the racist reputation its earlier iteration, the National Front.
Once ran by her father, RN is now the biggest single party in France’s parliament.
If she is disqualified, RN president Jordan Bardella, 29, is expected to take her place. He, however, is not expected to match her electoral appeal.
Edited by: Zac Crellin
