On March 31, 2025, a significant event shook the French politics. Marine Le Pen, leader of the far
right National Rally party, was convicted of embezzlement—illegally taking money she was trusted to
manage—for misusing EU funds intended for parliamentary assistants. A court in Paris sentenced her
to four years in prison, but two of those years are suspended, meaning she will only have to serve 2
years in prison if she doesn’t get into more trouble. She also has to pay a fine of €100,000 and, most
importantly, she’s banned from holding any public office for five years, starting right away. This is a
huge event in French politics as Le Pen was planning to run for President again in 2027, but now she
might not be able to.
The case against her was nine weeks long and came after almost ten years of investigations. Le Pen
along with 24 other members of her party were accused of misusing more than €3 million. This
money was allocated for the assistants working in the European Parliament, but they allegedly used
it to pay staff for their own party instead, which is against the rules of the EU.
The judge, Bénédicte de Perthuis, said this wasn’t just a mistake; it was a deliberate plan to save
money for the party by using EU funds improperly. The prosecutors wanted an even harsher
punishment: five years in prison, a bigger fine, and an immediate ban. However, the court opted for a
slightly reduced sentence but imposed an immediate ban from public office, which is unusual in
France.
Le Pen’s lawyer, Rodolphe Bosselut, said they’re going to appeal the decision. He called the verdict “a
blow to democracy.” Because of the appeal, Le Pen won’t have to go to prison or pay the fine
immediately, but the ban on holding office is already in effect.
Who is Marine Le Pen?
Marine Le Pen is the daughter of Jean-Marie Le Pen, who founded the National Front party in 1972.
He was known for some very controversial opinions, like questioning whether the Holocaust really
happened. Marine took over the party in 2011 and tried to make it seem less extreme. She even
changed the name to National Rally to distance it from her father’s legacy. She’s a lawyer and has run
for president three times. In 2012, she came in third, and in 2017, she made it to the final round but
lost to Emmanuel Macron. She ran again in 2022 and gave a close fight to Macron, but wasn’t able to
secure the victory. Her main ideas are against immigration, against the EU having too much power,
and for protecting French jobs and culture.
Reactions from Both Sides
People have strong opinions about this verdict. Her supporters, like Jordan Bardella, who now leads
the National Rally, say this is a political attack, not real justice. He said, “Today, it’s not just Marine Le
Pen who is unfairly condemned: It’s French democracy that is being executed.” Other far-right
leaders in Europe, like Viktor Orbán from Hungary and Matteo Salvini from Italy, agree. Orbán called
it a “violation of democratic norms,” and Salvini said it was like “a declaration of war by Brussels,”
meaning the EU.
On the other side, critics say that justice is justice, and Le Pen should be held accountable. Fabien
Roussel from the French Communist Party said, “Ms. Le Pen is a politician who demands firmness on
the part of the judiciary! Respect the judicial system then.” The far-left party France Unbowed also
thinks the charges are serious but prefers to fight political battles at the ballot box, not in court. Even
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro chimed in, calling it “left-wing judicial activism.”
What Happens Next?
The ban means Le Pen can’t run for president in 2027, which she called a “political death sentence”
before the verdict. This might lead to Jordan Bardella, who is only 29, becoming the new face of the
party and possibly running for president. He’s been with the National Rally since he was 16 and is
currently a Member of the European Parliament. He’s known for trying to attract younger voters.
But there’s still the appeal. If Le Pen wins her appeal, she could still run in 2027, but that seems
unlikely. This conviction might also change how people see the National Rally. Some might feel sorry
for Le Pen and support her more, thinking she’s being treated unfairly. Others might lose trust in the
party because of the corruption. The party has been doing well lately, like in the 2024 elections, so it
might be able to handle this, but losing Le Pen could cause some problems within the party.
Key citations :
The Guardian
Politico
Reuters
NBC News
CNN World
