France’s Marine Le Pen barred from running for president in 2027

PARIS,— A French court on Monday barred far-right leader Marine Le Pen from running in the 2027 presidential election after convicting her of embezzlement, delivering a major blow to one of France’s most prominent political figures.

Le Pen, 56, leads the National Rally (RN) party and was widely seen as a strong contender in the race to succeed President Emmanuel Macron. The ruling is expected to reshape France’s political landscape, putting additional strain on Macron’s already weakened government.

The court found Le Pen guilty of misappropriating more than 4 million euros ($4.3 million) in European Union funds, using the money to pay party staff instead of official EU parliamentary aides. She was sentenced to four years in prison—two of them suspended—with the remaining two to be served under home confinement. She also faces a 100,000-euro ($108,200) fine.

While she remains a member of parliament for now, Le Pen cannot seek public office for the next five years, a ban that remains in effect despite her intent to appeal.

Le Pen, speaking in a televised interview on TF1, denounced the decision as politically motivated.

“Millions of French people are outraged,” she said. “In the country of human rights, we now see judicial practices that belong to authoritarian regimes.”

Her allies quickly condemned the ruling. RN president Jordan Bardella called it “a direct attack on democracy.”

Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, who has previously criticized judicial decisions against right-wing politicians, claimed on X (formerly Twitter) that Le Pen’s conviction was part of a broader effort to sideline political opponents.

“When the radical left can’t win elections, they use the legal system to remove their rivals,” Musk wrote.

The case was presided over by Judge Benedicte de Perthuis, who stated that Le Pen played a central role in the scheme. She cited Le Pen’s lack of remorse as a key reason for the ban.

With Le Pen out of the race, attention has turned to Bardella, 29, as a possible successor for the RN’s presidential campaign. However, Le Pen indicated that she is not ready to step aside just yet.

“Jordan Bardella is an asset for the party,” she said. “But I will not let myself be eliminated so easily.”

The RN, along with more than two dozen of its members, was also found guilty of financial misconduct. The party was ordered to pay a fine of 2 million euros, with half of it suspended.

Reactions to the ruling have been divided. Centrist lawmaker Sacha Houlie defended the court’s decision, emphasizing the importance of upholding the rule of law. Meanwhile, Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban and former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro expressed support for Le Pen, calling the decision politically driven.

The verdict is expected to trigger a lengthy legal battle, with appeals in France often taking months or even years.

For now, the ruling removes one of the most recognizable figures in European right-wing politics from the electoral landscape, leaving the 2027 race wide open.

(With files from Reuters)