French far-right leader Marine Le Pen has been found guilty of misappropriating European Parliament funds, in a ruling that could significantly impact her political future and plans to contest the 2027 presidential election.
The Paris court delivered its verdict on Monday but has yet to announce the specific sentence, which could potentially include a substantial fine, prison term, and a ban from holding public office.
Prosecutors previously recommended a €300,000 fine and a five-year ban on Le Pen running for public office, with the critical request that any ineligibility take immediate effect rather than being suspended during an expected appeals process.
The case centered on allegations that Le Pen and more than 20 other senior National Rally (RN) party officials hired assistants who worked primarily on party business rather than performing legitimate European Parliament duties, despite being paid from EU funds.
During trial proceedings last year, Le Pen strongly defended her actions, stating she had not committed “the slightest irregularity” in the management of parliamentary assistants.
(information from the BBC)
