Full verdict against Marine Le Pen
Angelique Chrisafis
The full verdict is in and Marine Le Pen has been sentenced to five years of ineligibility, with immediate effect – effectively ruling her out of the 2027 presidential race.
The judges also gave Le Pen a four-year prison sentence – of which two years are a suspended sentence – and a 100,000 euro fine.
She is almost certain to appeal, and the prison penalty and fine would not be applied until her appeals are exhausted.
Key events
Le Pen ruling ‘bad film’ and ‘declaration of war by Brussels,’ Italy’s Salvini says
Another Le Pen ally, Italy’s deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini, has just offered his reaction to the court’s decision too.
In a social media post, he said:
Those who fear the judgment of the voters often find reassurance in the judgment of the courts.
In Paris they condemned Marine Le Pen and would like to exclude her from political life. A bad film that we are also seeing in other countries such as Romania.
The one against @MLP_officiel is a declaration of war by Brussels, at a time when the warlike impulses of von der Leyen and Macron are frightening.
We will not be intimidated, we will not stop: full speed ahead my friend!
Full verdict against Marine Le Pen
Angelique Chrisafis
The full verdict is in and Marine Le Pen has been sentenced to five years of ineligibility, with immediate effect – effectively ruling her out of the 2027 presidential race.
The judges also gave Le Pen a four-year prison sentence – of which two years are a suspended sentence – and a 100,000 euro fine.
She is almost certain to appeal, and the prison penalty and fine would not be applied until her appeals are exhausted.
‘French democracy has been executed,’ National Rally leader Jordan Bardella
The National Rally’s leader Jordan Bardella – who arrived at the party’s headquarters in the last few minutes to meet with Le Pen – reacts to the decision, saying in a social media post:
Today, it is not only Marine Le Pen who is being unjustly condemned: it is French democracy that has been executed.
Le Pen barred from running for public office for 5 years, with immediate effect
Jakub Krupa
Here it is: Marine Le Pen gets barred from running for public office for 5 years, with immediate effect.
That extremely complicates – if not outright ends – her 2027 presidential bid.
A huge moment in French politics.
Angelique Chrisafis
Marine Le Pen has arrived at her party’s HQ in western Paris without commenting.
She is scheduled to meet party president Jordan Bardella.
Le Pen has just arrived at the National Rally’s headquarters in Paris, but, again, not a word of reaction to reporters gathered outside the building.
‘Je suis Marine,’ Hungarian prime minister Orbán says
Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán with an early reaction to the ruling, even before it gets fully delivered, as he expresses his solidarity with Le Pen in a social media post.
He says:
Je suis Marine! @MLP_officiel
Le Pen leaves the court before sentence gets read out
… and Le Pen has just left the court, before the sentence has even been fully read out.
Marine Le Pen barred from running for public office with immediate effect
We are still waiting for find out the critical detail about the length of the ban though.
We will bring you that as soon as possible.
Jakub Krupa
The devil here is very much in the detail: the exact length of the ban and whether it is with immediate effect will be absolutely critical in the context of the 2027 presidential race.
We don’t have clarity on this question just yet – but we’re getting closer to that big moment.
Le Pen will be barred from running for public office, but no details yet – court
Angelique Chrisafis
The court has said Marine Le Pen will be barred from running for public office, but the head judge has not yet said for how long and whether with immediate effect.
Those details should follow in the coming hour.
‘Not administrative errors … but embezzlement within the framework of a system put in place’ to help party – judge
We are getting a bit more detail on the presiding judge’s explanation for the guilty verdict, via Reuters.
The court found Le Pen, eight other people who were EU lawmakers at the time and 12 parliamentary assistants guilty of embezzling EU funds. The defendants were not accused of pocketing the money, but rather of using EU funds to the benefit of their party.
Judge Bénédicte de Perthuis ruled: “It was established that all these people were actually working for the party, that their (EU) lawmaker had not given them any tasks.”
“The investigations also showed that these were not administrative errors … but embezzlement within the framework of a system put in place to reduce the party’s costs.”
Le Pen, who sat in the front row in court, could be seen at times shaking her head slightly from right to left, indicating “no”, while listening to the judge.
The Libération daily adds that in total court found evidence of over 40 fictitious contracts over “nearly 12 years”, amounting to “more than €4.6 million” in total.
No sentence yet – snap analysis
Jakub Krupa
A word of caution: we still need to wait for sentencing, including a decision on the key issue of whether the verdict will include a declaration that she is ineligible to run for public office, and whether it will be “with immediate effect” or not.
Stay with us for the latest.
Le Pen and eight MEPs found guilty
We are just getting a first line out of the Paris court that Marine Le Pen and eight MEPs were found guilty of embezzlement of EU funds.
But their sentences will be reported individually, the French media say, so we need to wait a bit longer for more details to come out of the courtroom.
In opening remarks reported by various French media, the presiding judge Bénédicte de Perthuis warned that the judgment “is going to be a bit long,” as it gives “a number of explanations for the decision taken.”
While acknowledging the broader importance of the case, including for political processes, she insisted the court will “proceed as usual.”
