Locations Affected: France
On 31 March, Marine Le Pen, head of the National Rally party (RN), was barred from running for office for five years after she and 24 RN members were found guilty of embezzling EU funds. They misused money reserved for European parliamentary assistants to pay party workers in France between 2004 and 2016. The verdict reduces her chances of contesting the 2027 French presidential election. Le Pen also faces a four-year prison sentence, with two years suspended, to be served under house arrest, and a EUR 100,000 fine. Additionally, the RN was ordered to pay a EUR 2 million penalty for the EUR 4.1 million it is accused of embezzling. Le Pen has condemned the ruling as “a denial of democracy” and announced her decision to appeal. Bénédicte de Perthuis (Presiding judge) passed the judgment.
Impact of the Court’s Decision
- The ban on running for public office is immediate and remains in effect even while her appeal is ongoing. However, the prison sentence and fines will not be enforced until all appeals are exhausted. She will retain her current position as a member of the French Parliament.
- On 01 April, the Paris Court of Appeal stated it expects to reach a decision by the summer of 2026. Far from the usual delays of justice, the court indicated that it is considering a new trial for the president of the RN deputies, with a decision expected in mid-2026.
- If these deadlines are met, the appeal proceedings for the former presidential candidate would take place at the latest in early 2026, and the judgment would be delivered several months before the presidential election in April 2027. This gives hope to Marine Le Pen, who refuses to give up her candidacy in the race for the Élysée Palace.
- For now, the MP for Pas-de-Calais can keep her parliamentary mandate, but due to the five-year ineligibility sentence imposed by the Paris judicial court, she cannot stand for re-election within this period.
- Jordan Bardella, president of the RN, has called for a rally in central Paris on 06 April to protest the court ruling.
- Le Pen has received support from several world leaders, including US President Donald Trump, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
- Additionally, The judge who ruled on the case has been placed under protection.
Way Ahead for the RN
The ruling against Le Pen comes as she was preparing to run for president for the fourth time, with opinion polls indicating a strong chance of victory in 2027. The RN is reluctant to replace her with Bardella due to his lack of experience. The party is likely to continue appealing to secure Le Pen’s eligibility. However, overturning the ruling would require a higher court’s intervention, a process that could take several months. While the RN is rallying support, it is unlikely to accelerate the appeal. If the appeal fails, Bardella remains the most likely alternative candidate despite his inexperience.
