French far-right leader Marine Le Pen has been banned from running for public office for five years after being convicted of embezzlement.
The conviction effectively rules her out of the 2027 presidential race.
Le Pen, the National Rally (RN) party chief, was found guilty of misappropriating EU funds. She was given a four-year prison sentence, with two years suspended and two years to be served under home detention. She was also fined 100,000 euros ($108,200).
Le Pen’s lawyer said she would appeal the conviction. While the appeal process is ongoing, the prison sentence and fine will not be applied. However, the five-year ban from running for office takes effect immediately.
Jordan Bardella, Le Pen’s right-hand man and RN president, condemned the conviction, saying: “Today it is not only Marine Le Pen who was unjustly convicted: It was French democracy that was killed.”
Le Pen has run for president three times and had said 2027 would be her final run. Her only chance to run now would be if an appeals judge overturns the conviction before the ballot.
