Paris – On Monday, the Paris Correctional Court imposed a five-year ineligibility sentence on Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Rally (RN), along with a four-year prison term, of which two years will be served under an electronic bracelet, allowing her to avoid actual incarceration.
This ineligibility ruling may hinder the 56-year-old Le Pen’s potential candidacy in the 2027 presidential election, where she was considered a strong contender following three previous attempts.
The court justified its ruling by underscoring Le Pen’s “central role” in a scheme designed to misappropriate funds from the European Parliament, citing “disturbance to public order and democratic functioning.” The scheme enabled the RN to pay “fictitious” parliamentary assistants between 2004 and 2016 who were effectively working for the party.
The Kremlin condemned her conviction as a “violation of democratic norms,” while Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban expressed his support on X, stating “I am Marine!”. (March 31, 2025)
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