Far-right Leader Marine Le Pen Banned from Running in 2027 French National Election Due to Corruption

Far-right Leader Marine Le Pen Banned from Running in 2027 French National Election Due to Corruption

Paris, April 1, 2025: Marine Le Pen, the leader of France's far-right politics, has been convicted by a French court for embezzling funds allocated for staff salaries in the European Parliament. She has been declared ineligible to hold any public office for five years and fined €100,000. The court labeled the charges as 'deliberate and organized.'

Marine Le Pen led the far-right party ‘National Rally’ until the 2022 French presidential election and has run for president multiple times. In 2022, she secured 40% of the vote against Emmanuel Macron, which many saw as positioning her as a potential future president of France.

The verdict has caused a major shock in the political arena. Her supporters are viewing it as ‘political persecution,’ and influential figures like Hungary’s Viktor Orban and Italy’s Matteo Salvini have protested the ruling. Although Marine Le Pen has announced her intention to appeal the sentence, her disqualification from holding public office is immediate.

Meanwhile, her party, 'National Rally,' became the largest party in the French Parliament last year, with her elected successor Jordan Bardella now leading the party. While Bardella is popular and outspoken, his political experience and recognition remain limited.

Throughout her political career, Marine Le Pen has influenced the language of mainstream politicians and paved the way for the rise of far-right politics in France. Although she may not have become president, her political influence will remain a significant presence in French politics for a long time