Marine Le Pen, one of France’s most well-known politicians, has been banned from running for public office for five years after being found guilty of embezzling European Union funds on Monday. This surprising decision means that she is no longer allowed to compete in the 2027 French presidential election.
Le Pen, the leader of the National Rally (RN), a far-right political party, was accused of using European Parliament funds meant for assistants to instead pay party workers in France between 2004 and 2016. The court said this caused a loss of €4.5 million to taxpayers. Le Pen was found guilty of playing a central role in this system, which the court called one of great size and duration.
The judge sentenced her to four years in prison, with two of those years suspended. The other two years will be served outside of jail with an electronic bracelet. She was also fined €100,000. These punishments will only begin after her appeals are completed, which could take years.
Even though Le Pen is appealing the ruling, the ban on running for office is effective immediately. “Let’s be clear,” she said. “I am eliminated, but in reality it’s millions of French people whose voices have been eliminated.” When she heard the verdict, she muttered “Incredible” and left the courtroom before the full sentence was even announced.
Many leaders in her party and from other parts of the political world reacted strongly. Jordan Bardella, the 29-year-old president of the RN and Le Pen’s likely successor, said, “Not only has Marine Le Pen been unjustly convicted; French democracy has been executed.” Other far-right leaders across Europe, including Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, also expressed support. Orbán posted, “Je suis Marine!”
Inside France, some politicians disagreed with the court’s decision, saying it was too harsh. One centrist lawmaker asked, “Is our society really so sick that we are going to take offense at what is no more and no less than the rule of law?” Others warned that the punishment could hurt democracy.
The RN party said the sentence was an attack on democracy. Vice-president Louis Aliot said it would “leave an indelible stain on the history of our democracy.” Party spokesperson Laurent Jacobelli said Le Pen was in a “fighting mood,” while her niece Marion Maréchal said the judges thought of themselves “as above the people.”
Before this ruling, Le Pen was a favorite to win in 2027. A recent poll showed she could have received between 34% and 37% of the vote in the first round. She had already run for president three times before, twice making it to the final round against Emmanuel Macron. In 2022, she won more than 13 million votes, the highest ever for the far right in France.
Le Pen will remain a member of the French parliament, where her party controls the largest group. But if there is a snap election, she won’t be able to run.
Now, the National Rally must decide whether to move forward with Bardella as their candidate. While he is popular with voters, many question whether he has enough experience to lead the country.
Although the ruling could give a short-term boost to the party by making its supporters feel targeted by the political system, the long-term effects are unclear. Le Pen’s presence has been key to the party’s success, and without her, the party’s future is uncertain.
This article is based on the following articles:
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy0ylgjew1xo
Background Information
1. Who is Marine Le Pen?
Marine Le Pen is a major political figure in France. She is the leader of a political party called the National Rally (RN), which is known for its far-right views. This means that her party often focuses on strong national identity, tough immigration rules, and law-and-order policies.
She took over the leadership of her party from her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, in 2011. Her father founded the party in 1972, and it was once known as the National Front, a group known for racist and antisemitic comments. Marine Le Pen tried to change this image and make the party more acceptable to regular voters. She changed the name of the party in 2018 to National Rally and has tried to make it look more modern and respectable.
Le Pen has run for president of France three times. In two of those elections, she made it to the final round but lost both times to the current president, Emmanuel Macron. In the 2022 election, she got over 13 million votes, which was the best result ever for a far-right candidate in France.
2. What Is the European Parliament and How Was the Money Misused?
The European Parliament is part of the government of the European Union (EU). The EU is a group of 27 countries in Europe that work together on things like trade, travel, and laws. France is one of those countries.
The European Parliament hires parliamentary assistants to help its members do their jobs. These assistants are supposed to work on European issues, like helping to write laws or prepare speeches about topics that affect the EU.
In this case, the court said that Marine Le Pen and others used money from the European Parliament—not for real assistants—but to pay workers for her political party in France. These workers were doing local political work, not helping with EU business. This was considered a misuse of public money and led to charges of embezzlement, which means stealing or misusing funds that one is trusted to manage.
3. What Is the French Presidential Election?
In France, the president is elected by the people every five years. The election has two rounds. If no one gets more than 50% of the vote in the first round, the top two candidates go to a second round, and the one with the most votes wins.
The next presidential election in France will be held in 2027. Marine Le Pen was expected to run again and had a strong chance of doing well, based on recent polls.
But now, because of the court’s decision, she is barred from running unless she wins an appeal (a request to a higher court to change the verdict).
4. What Does “Far Right” Mean in Politics?
In politics, the terms left and right refer to different beliefs about how a country should be run. The far right often focuses on:
- Strong national identity
- Strict immigration control
- Traditional values
- Being tough on crime
Far-right parties are often criticized for being anti-immigrant or extreme in their views. Marine Le Pen’s party, the National Rally, is considered a far-right party.
5. Why Is This Important for France?
Marine Le Pen and her party are very influential. Her being banned from the election is a major event in French politics. Many people are debating whether the punishment is fair or politically motivated. Some see it as justice, while others see it as a threat to democracy.
Her party is the largest in France’s National Assembly, which is like the French version of Congress. This means her supporters still have power in the government, even though she can’t run for president—at least for now.
Debate/Essay Questions
- Should a political leader who is popular with voters be allowed to run for office even if they are found guilty of a crime?
Please subscribe to Insight Fortnight, our biweekly newsletter!