Marine Le Pen and 23 others were found guilty on Monday of misusing European Parliament funds, receiving a combination of fines, suspended prison sentences, and political bans. In an unusual yet legally permissible decision, the three-judge panel enforced Le Pen’s ban immediately, regardless of any potential appeal.
Despite the verdict, Le Pen maintained that she could still run in the 2027 French presidential election, where she remains a leading contender. However, with appeals typically taking months to be heard, the timeline presents a significant challenge to her campaign ambitions.
“There remains a narrow path — but it’s still a path,” Le Pen said following the sentencing.
Le Pen and her far-right National Rally party have characterized the ruling as a severe blow to democracy, arguing it disregards the will of millions of French voters who have backed the party’s growing popularity. Figures such as Elon Musk, an adviser to former U.S. President Donald Trump, and several of Le Pen’s populist allies across Europe, have publicly criticized the ruling as politically motivated.
“Tonight, millions of French citizens are outraged — outraged beyond belief — that in the country known for human rights, judges have employed practices we associate with authoritarian regimes,” Le Pen declared.
In the wake of the ruling, the National Rally launched an online petition calling on supporters to “save democracy.”
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