France’s Le Pen sentenced to four years in jail
A Paris court has sentenced French right-wing politician Marine Le Pen to a four-year jail term, half of which is without parole, in a case involving the embezzlement of EU funds for her National Rally (RN) party. Le Pen has also been barred from running for president in 2027.
The verdict on Monday is the culmination of an extended case, in which RN and several of its senior figures were accused of diverting money meant for the offices of European Parliament members towards the national party structure. Le Pen and eight MEPs were found guilty of running the scheme between 2004 and 2016.
The five-year ban on participating in elections, which was requested by the prosecution, comes into effect immediately regardless of any appeal process. The top French Сonstitutional Сourt ruled last week in an unrelated case that such a punishment was legal under the basic law.
The court has reportedly allowed Le Pen to serve half of her jail time under home arrest monitored by an ankle bracelet. Others found guilty in the case on Monday were sentenced to serve time in prison, with punishments varying between 12 months and three years.
RN president Jordan Bardella denounced the sentence on his X account, calling it “unjust” and amounting to an execution of French democracy.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has expressed support for Le Pen, posting “I am Marine” in French and tagging her account on X.
Le Pen stepped down from the RN party leadership in favor of Bardella in 2022, but remains the head of its faction in the National Assembly. Described as “far-right” by her detractors, she has accused the EU of mishandling illegal immigration and has criticized its support for Ukraine in the conflict with Russia, among other policies.
As part of the court's decision, RN was sentenced to seizure of already-confiscated funds and a fine totalling €2 million ($2.2mn).
