Is this the end of Le Pen's presidential dreams? France’s top opposition leader found GUILTY of embezzling EU funds

A French court on Monday found right-wing leader Marine Le Pen guilty of embezzling European Union funds. The court is also set to deliver the sentence in this case in the near future. Marine Le Pen is likely to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race following the sentencing. It is also a big win for President Emmanuel Macron. Le Pen, the leader of the far-right National Rally (RN), is currently in the lead in opinion polls before the 2027 election.

Demands to bar Le Pen from politics

Prosecutors of the plaintiff party have called on the court to, in case Le Pen is guilty, immediately exclude her from public office for five years with "provisional execution" measures, even in case of an appeal process. Nevertheless, the judges who pass the verdict can embrace, rewrite, or disregard the prosecutors' request.

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France Far-right leader Marine Le Pen found guilty in embezzlement trial.
And now
Marine Le Pen will be banned from running in France's next presidential election#MarineLePe pic.twitter.com/nwrf9OAQ9n

Marine Le Pen banned for 5 years

Marine Le Pen would be automatically banned for five years if found guilty. Marine Le Pen, who is 56 years old, has been the French presidential three-time runner. He has expressed that he would be quitting after the 2027 election but that he wouldn't be able to do that once the verdict is pronounced.

At the same time, French President Emmanuel Macron will be the presidential candidate of his party in 2027. In such a situation, the way for them to win the election will be cleared.

What Marine Le Pen said?

Marine Le Pen blamed prosecutors of attempting to "kill him politically." He said there was a conspiracy to block his party, National Rally (RN), from governing. Two dozen party officials, including RN, Le Pen and Marine's close allies were accused of transferring European Parliament cash into the French-based party staffers' pockets to keep them well paid. Le Pen's allies claimed that the money was spent legally and that the charges specify very precisely what the parliamentary assistant does. The court convicted Le Pen, eight others who were members of the EU parliament at the time, and 12 parliamentary assistants of misusing EU funds. The defendants were not accused of grabbing the money, but of spending EU funds to the advantage of their party.

What the French judge uttered when delivering the verdict

Judge Benedict de Pertuis declared: "It was proven that all these individuals were indeed employed by the party, that their (EU) MP had not assigned them any work." "It was also made clear that these were not ministerial mistakes. Instead there was embezzlement within the system designed to lower the price of the party. Le Pen, sitting front row in court, would at times nod her head ever so slightly from the right to left as she heard the judge making the gesture for "no".