Marine Le Pen has been convicted of misappropriating public funds, resulting in a five-year ban from running for public office, a Paris court ruled on Monday. The verdict, which applies immediately, effectively blocks her from participating in the 2027 presidential race, dealing a severe blow to her political career. Le Pen was also sentenced to four years in prison, with two years converted to electronic monitoring, and fined €100,000.

The court's ruling extends beyond Le Pen, impacting 24 other members of the National Rally, including eight MEPs and twelve assistants, all of whom were found guilty and barred from holding office. Additionally, the party itself was fined €2 million for its role in the case. Prosecutors accused Le Pen and her co-defendants of diverting EU funds intended for parliamentary assistants to pay party staff over nearly 12 years. The court estimated that the European Parliament suffered a loss of €2.9 million, with Le Pen personally misusing approximately €474,000.

"There was no personal enrichment, but the party benefitted financially," stated Judge Bénédicte de Perthuis, explaining that the practice violated party financing rules. The judge emphasized that the case was not about targeting political activities but rather determining whether the contracts in question had been legitimately executed.

Despite the ruling, Le Pen will retain her position as an MP but will be unable to run in future legislative elections should there be another parliamentary dissolution. She is also required to step down from her role as a councillor in Pas-de-Calais, northern France.

Le Pen reacted to the verdict by shaking her head in disapproval as she sat in the courtroom, dressed in a blue suit. She left without commenting before the sentencing was fully read out. The sentences for the other accused individuals were detailed in court over several hours.

The prosecution had initially sought a harsher sentence, requesting a €300,000 fine, up to 10 years in prison, and an immediate five-year ban from running for office. However, the three-judge panel was not obligated to adhere strictly to these recommendations.

Before the ruling, Le Pen had dismissed concerns about being barred from office, telling La Tribune Dimanche: "Personally, I'm not nervous. But I understand why others might be." She acknowledged the court's power over her party but expressed doubt that the judges would take such a severe measure.

Throughout the trial, Le Pen denied accusations that she orchestrated a scheme to funnel EU funds into her party, arguing instead that it was reasonable for parliamentary aides to support lawmakers in a way that aligned with the party’s objectives. "I absolutely don’t feel I have committed the slightest irregularity, the slightest illegal move," she insisted during her testimony.