PARIS (AP) 鈥� A French court on Monday convicted of embezzlement and barred her from seeking public office for five years 鈥� a to the far-right leader鈥檚 presidential hopes and an earthquake for French politics.
Le Pen denounced the verdict in an interview with French TV channel TF1 as a 鈥減olitical鈥� move aimed at preventing her from running in the 2027 presidential election and said that millions of French people 鈥渁re outraged.鈥�
She described the ruling as a violation of the rule of law, said she would appeal and asked that the court proceedings take place before the 2027 campaign. She would remain ineligible to be a candidate until the appeal is decided.
Le Pen also was given four years鈥� imprisonment, with two to be served under house arrest and two suspended - which would not apply pending appeal.
Major political implications
The court ruling was a political as well as a judicial temblor for France, hobbling one of the leading contenders to succeed President Emmanuel Macron at the end of his second and final term. So broad were the political implications that even some of Le Pen's opponents said the Paris court had gone too far.
But it鈥檚 too early to say how the case will affect voters. The potential elimination of Le Pen could fire up diehard supporters, just as U.S. President鈥檚 Donald Trump鈥檚 legal problems motivated some of his. But it could also leave her on the sidelines, deflating what had been her upward trajectory.
Le Pen said the court should not have made her ineligible to run for office until all her chances at appeal had been exhausted, and that by doing so it was clear the court was aiming 鈥渟pecifically to prevent鈥� her from being elected president.
"If that鈥檚 not a political decision, I don鈥檛 know what is,鈥� Le Pen said in the TF1 interview.
She said the ruling marked a 鈥渇ateful day for our democracy鈥� but vowed to keep pursuing what she called the now 鈥渁dmittedly narrow鈥� path to the presidency.
鈥淭here are millions of French people who believe in me, millions of French people who trust me,鈥� she added: 鈥淔or 30 years I鈥檝e been fighting for you, and for 30 years I鈥檝e been fighting against injustice, so I鈥檓 going to continue fighting.鈥�
Le Pen left the court before the sentencing
Le Pen herself was not around to hear the chief judge pronounce the sentence that threw her career into a tailspin. By then, the 56-year-old politician had already strode out of the courtroom.
Her supporters quickly expressed their disapproval of the verdict. Jordan Bardella, her 29-year-old prot茅g茅 who could replace her on the ballot in 2027 if she cannot run, said on X that Le Pen was 鈥渂eing unjustly condemned鈥� and that French democracy was 鈥渂eing executed.鈥�
Hungary鈥檚 populist prime minister, Viktor Orb谩n, quickly took to social media to express his support, posting 鈥淛e suis Marine!鈥� 鈥� I am Marine 鈥� on X.
Among political opponents of Le Pen who expressed unease was conservative lawmaker Laurent Wauquiez, who said the verdict put 鈥渁 very heavy weight on our democracy.鈥�
鈥楢 political death鈥� scenario
The sentence could prevent Le Pen from making what would have been her fourth run for the presidency in 2027, a scenario she has previously described as a 鈥減olitical death.鈥� The party鈥檚 most recognized figurehead and a formidable campaigner, Le Pen was runner-up to Macron in the 2017 and 2022 presidential elections, and her party鈥檚 electoral support in recent years.
Only an appellate ruling that overturns the ban on public office could restore her hopes of running. But with the election just two years away, time is running out. There鈥檚 no guarantee that an appeals court would rule more favorably, and appeals in France can take several years to conclude.
The verdict was a resounding defeat for Le Pen's National Rally party, formerly the National Front.
She and 24 other party officials intended for European Union parliamentary aides to instead pay staff who worked for the party between 2004 and 2016, violating the 27-nation bloc鈥檚 regulations.
A 鈥渟ystem鈥� to siphon off EU money
The judge handed down guilty verdicts to eight other current or former members of her party who, like Le Pen, previously served as European Parliament lawmakers. Also convicted were 12 people who served as parliamentary aides and three others. Only one defendant was acquitted. All had denied wrongdoing during the nine-week trial that took place in late 2024.
The chief judge said Le Pen had been at the heart of 鈥渁 system鈥� that her party used to siphon off EU parliament funds, though she said they didn't enrich themselves personally. The ruling described the embezzlement as 鈥渁 democratic bypass" that deceived the parliament and voters.
From the front row of the court, showed no immediate reaction when the judge first declared her guilty. But she grew more agitated as the verdict was delivered in greater detail. She shook her head in disagreement as the judge said Le Pen鈥檚 party illegally used European funds for its own benefit.
鈥淚ncredible,鈥� she whispered at one point. She then left without warning, picking up her bag and striding out, her heels clicking on the hardwood floor. The abrupt departure left many in the courtroom in disbelief as they turned their heads toward the door.
The electoral ineligibility takes effect immediately, but the house arrest is suspended while she appeals.
Le Pen also serves as a lawmaker in France's National Assembly, a role not affected by the ineligibility ruling that she can keep for now.
But if Macron dissolves parliament again, as he did last year, and calls early legislative elections, she would be barred from running.
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Leicester reported from Le Pecq, France. Thomas Adamson in Paris and Justin Spike in Budapest contributed.
Sylvie Corbet, John Leicester And Samuel Petrequin, The Associated Press
