Marine Le Pen, former leader of the French far-right National Rally party, has been convicted of a €4 million ($4.3 million) embezzlement in European Union funds. She has been banned from running for public office for five years. According to the prosecutors, the funds, intended for European Parliament operations, were diverted to finance her party’s domestic activities.
The ruling effectively removes Le Pen from the race for the French presidency in 2027. Despite the verdict, she will retain her seat in the French parliament. Le Pen, 56, had not anticipated such a swift legal decision but faces an uphill battle as she plans to appeal the verdict.
Le Pen and eight Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) were found guilty of running a decade-long scheme misusing EU funds.
The court determined that the National Rally staff had signed “fictional contracts” to make it appear that they were working for MEPs. In reality, these staff members were working for the party, allowing the National Rally to use EU funds for its operations.
French far right leader Marine Le Pen has been found guilty of embezzling European Union funds. pic.twitter.com/DlMrZS5ZQi
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) March 31, 2025
Judge Bénédicte de Perthuis, who presided over the trial, emphasized that the operation had been systematic over 14 years.
While the misappropriated funds were not used to enrich Le Pen or her colleagues personally, the judge noted they were illegally diverted to fund the National Rally’s activities.
Le Pen, who took over as leader of the National Rally in 2011 while serving as an MEP, was at the center of the fraudulent scheme.
According to the judge, she inherited the system of financial mismanagement originally set up by her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, the founder of the National Rally.
Despite being found guilty, Le Pen and her supporters have dismissed the trial as politically motivated. “Let it be clear: no one has been judged for their political activities,” Judge de Perthuis said. “The question was to find out if these [parliamentary work] contracts were carried out or not.”
Le Pen was sentenced to two years in prison, though the sentence was suspended while she appealed the verdict. The appeal automatically triggers a new trial, and Le Pen has vowed to challenge the decision. Her appeal may prolong the legal proceedings, leaving the outcome uncertain.
The conviction has sparked widespread political reactions. Jordan Bardella, a close ally of Le Pen, condemned the verdict, calling it an execution of French democracy. He described the ruling as “unjust” and politically motivated.
The Russian government was among the first to react, with Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov accusing European capitals of violating democratic norms. Le Pen has previously expressed admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán—often considered an ally of Putin—also voiced his support for Le Pen, posting “Je suis Marine!” in solidarity with the embattled leader on social media.
The Kremlin has issued a statement regarding the news that Marine Le Pen has been barred from running for president in 2027, calling it a “violation of democratic norms.”
When Viktor Orbán and the Kremlin criticize your judicial system, you know you’re doing something right. pic.twitter.com/yjj2TpcuQ6
— Pekka Kallioniemi (@P_Kallioniemi) March 31, 2025
The ruling significantly impacts Le Pen’s political future, especially her prospects in the 2027 presidential race. However, the appeal process may yet alter the course of the case. The conviction has already caused a stir in France and abroad, raising questions about the future of Le Pen and her party.
