In a landmark decision by a Paris court, National Rally leader Marine Le Pen has been ruled ineligible to run for public office for the next five years due to her involvement in an embezzlement scandal.
Breitbart reported that the court found Le Pen, along with eight other members of her party from the European Parliament, guilty of misusing 2.9 million euros. These funds were intended to pay parliamentary assistants but were instead diverted to the National Rally's activities in Strasbourg.
Specifically, Le Pen was held personally responsible for the misappropriation of 474,000 euros. The severity of the judgment against her includes a four-year prison term, likely to be served under probation with electronic monitoring, and a hefty fine of 100,000 euros.
The court's decision is effective immediately, meaning that Le Pen's disqualification holds even as she pursues an appeal—a process that is expected to last at least a year and might extend past the 2027 election timeline.
If the appeal does not overturn today's ruling, it would mark the first election since 1981 without Le Pen's participation, an unprecedented shift in modern French political history.
This news comes at a time when Le Pen was leading polls with a strong chance to succeed the incumbent President Emmanuel Macron.
According to the latest survey from Ifop, Le Pen was the clear frontrunner in the upcoming presidential race, showing a support level of 34 to 37 percent against various potential opponents.
International figures have voiced their opinions on the court’s decision. Viktor Orbán, the Hungarian Prime Minister, shared a message of solidarity with Le Pen. Similarly, Matteo Salvini, the Italian Deputy Prime Minister, commented negatively on the judgment, seeing it as politically motivated.
Eric Ciotti, formerly leading the Republicans, expressed a dramatic critique, claiming the ruling "confiscated the democratic destiny of our nation by an unworthy judicial cabal.”
His statement reflects a significant uproar among Le Pen's supporters and fellow right-wing politicians across Europe.
Within her party, Jordan Bardella, the deputy leader of National Rally and likely successor, described the ruling as a severe injustice to both Le Pen and the broader framework of French democracy.
Marine Le Pen has been vocal about her objections, asserting her innocence and vowing to continue to fight the allegations through legal means.
"I consider myself completely innocent of the facts with which I am accused," she stated, adding, "Therefore, if my guilt is pronounced, I will use the rule of law to be able to defend my innocence again."
This legal battle not only threatens her political career but also casts a shadow over the integrity of the French judicial system as perceived by certain segments of the populace and international observers alike.
Both critics and supporters of Le Pen are closely watching the appeal process, which will likely be a protracted and highly scrutinized affair.
As it stands, the landscape of French politics may be dramatically altered, with the forthcoming presidential election poised to proceed without one of its most formidable contenders. Whether this marks a temporary setback or a definitive end to Le Pen's presidential aspirations remains to be seen.