Marine Le Pen, the leader of the far right of France and a leading candidate to become the next president of the country, has been banned from running for a public office for five years, after she and her party were convicted of embezzling millions of euros in European Union capital.
Mrs Le Pen, an anti-immigrant, populist politician, was also sentenced to four years in prison-with two years of suspension and two who could be served on home restriction-and fines of 100,000 euros or about $ 108,000. He has consistently denied any offense and will appeal to the verdict, which would put the prison sentence and the fine on waiting.
But the decision against Ms Le Pen and her party, the national struggle, threatens to destroy her plans to run for the presidency in 2027. She has spent years trying to soften her party’s image and move her to Mainstream by rejecting her anti -Semitic roots after her father’s success.
Who is Marine Le Pen?
Mrs Le Pen, 56, became the face of France, shortly after her father’s takeover in 2011 by her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen.
Mrs Le Pen attempted to detoxify the political movement built by softening some of his policies by changing the party’s name from the National Front to the National Rally, publicly rejecting his father’s anti -Semitism – he was convicted by a French court of law. They are frustrated.
But even if the tone has changed, the Mrs Le Pen platform is still stable hard properly. Its policies include the use of serious measures to reduce immigration and impetus for citizens born in the French to have more rights to social benefits and other areas of state support, although some argue that this could violate the French Constitution.
Mrs Le Pen has run for the country’s highest office three times and although she has not yet won, she has steadily increased her share of voting and expanding the range of her party. In the last presidential election in 2022, it won 41.5 % of the vote, from 33.9 % in the previous elections five years earlier.
Last year, the National Rally became the largest single party in the National Assembly, for the first time the parliament of the country’s lower Parliament.
What were the categories?
A French criminal court ruled that Ms Leen played a “central role” in an illegal plan by the party, when the National Front was still named, to use the equivalent of about $ 5 million to the European Parliament for the costs of the party between 2004 and 2016.
The court found that the party used European Parliament funds to pay assistants to national members of the House for labor that is not related to EU businesses. The judges rejected Ms Le Pen’s argument that it was suitable for the assistants to do the work related to the party.
Bénédicte de Perthuis, the presidential judge, called on the prohibition required by the seriousness of the accusations and the fact that the defendant seemed willing to recognize the events. The court must “ensure that elected officials, like any citizen, do not benefit from any favorable treatment,” he said.
Mrs Le Pen called the case a political witch hunt.
On Monday night, he told TF1 Television that the decision was an attempt to prevent it. “I’m not going to make a democratic denial so easily,” he said.
What will happen to Mrs Le Pen and her party?
Mrs Le Pen abandoned the court before the full verdict and did not address reporters as she left. He is ready to speak on French television later on Monday.
The decision does not strip it from its headquarters at the National Assembly, but Mrs Le Pen will only be able to run for President in 2027 if she secures a more favorable decision in the appeal before the deadline to enter the fight. But even a successful appeal could take some time.
The court also ruled that the National Rally had to pay a fine of 2m euros, which would be suspended. Twenty -three other people were convicted of charges related to the program to develop European Parliament funds.
The decision does not prevent Jordan Bardella, the 29 -year -old protected by Le Pen, from running for president in her absence. Regarded as the top alternative candidate.
Where does this leave France?
The decision could revitalize the political chaos that limited France last year after President Emmanuel Macron called the Snap election. The French government is not popular and struggled to pass a budget this year. Could be overthrown by legislators in the National Assembly.
Mrs Le Pen and the national struggle could also paint the verdict as a threat to a popular politician and party and the French Republic itself.
