France’s Le Pen found guilty in graft trial, awaits decision on potential ban from politics
Le Pen, head of the far-right National Rally (RN), is the front-runner in opinion polls ahead of the 2027 vote. French far-right leader Marine Le Pen, member of parliament of the Rassemblement National (National Rally - RN) party, looks on on the day of the verdict of her trial alongside 24 other defendants (party officials and employees, former lawmakers and parliamentary assistants) and the RN party itself, over accusations of misappropriation of European Union funds, at the courthouse in Paris, France, March 31, 2025. Reuters
A French court found far-right leader Marine Le Pen guilty on Monday of misappropriating EU funds and the sentencing expected shortly could see her barred from the 2027 presidential race, upending politics in France.
Le Pen, head of the far-right National Rally (RN), is the front-runner in opinion polls ahead of the 2027 vote.
Prosecutors had asked that Le Pen face an immediate five-year ban from public office if found guilty, regardless of any appeal process, using a so-called “provisional execution” measure. Judges can adopt, modify or ignore the prosecutors’ request.
An automatic five-year ban would hammer Le Pen, 56, a three-time presidential contender who has said 2027 will be her final run for top office. She would retain her parliamentary seat until the end of her mandate.
Issuing the guilty verdict, judge Benedicte de Perthuis said Le Pen had been at the centre of a system put in place by the party to use EU funds to pay France-based party staff.
“At the heart of this system since 2009, Marine Le Pen has placed herself with authority and determination in the system established by her father, in which she has participated since 2004,” she said.
The court found Le Pen, eight other people who were EU lawmakers at the time and 12 parliamentary assistants guilty of embezzling EU funds. The defendants were not accused of pocketing the money, but rather of using EU funds to the benefit of their party.
Le Pen, who did not speak to reporters as she arrived in court, has accused prosecutors of seeking her “political death”, alleging a plot to keep the RN from power that echoes claims made by US President Donald Trump about his legal woes.
De Perthuis said investigations in the case “showed that these were not administrative errors ... but embezzlement within the framework of a system put in place to reduce the party's costs”.
Le Pen, who sat in the front row in court, could be seen at times shaking her head slightly from right to left, indicating “no” while listening to the judge.
The defendants said the money was used legitimately and the allegations define too narrowly what a parliamentary assistant does.
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