French far-right leader Marine Le Pen has been barred from running for public office for five years, derailing her bid to stand in the next presidential election.
The National Rally leader, who left court before the verdict was read out, was found guilty in an embezzlement case.
She was also handed a four-year jail sentence, with two years suspended. However, she is not expected to serve any prison time.
Le Pen, 56, is a three-time presidential contender who had previously stated that the 2027 election would be her final attempt at securing the presidency.
The ban extinguishes those hopes unless she successfully appeals before the campaign begins.
Le Pen and 24 other officials from her National Rally party were accused of diverting more than €3 million (£2.51 million) of European Parliament funds to pay France-based staff between 2004 and 2016.
The judge also issued guilty verdicts to eight other current or former members of Le Pen’s party, who, like her, previously served as MEPs in the European Parliament.
Sitting in the front row in the Paris court, Le Pen displayed no immediate reaction as the chief judge read the verdict.
Judge Bénédicte de Perthuis ruled, “It was established that all these people were actually working for the party and 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 denied accusations that she was at the head of “a system” designed to syphon off EU funds to benefit her party.
The defendants denied any wrongdoing, claiming the money was used legitimately.
The nine-week trial took place at the end of last year.
Other Far-Right Leaders with Criminal Records
Marine Le Pen is not the only far-right leader to have faced legal troubles. Many others have been convicted or accused of serious crimes:
- Donald Trump: The former U.S. president has been indicted multiple times on charges including election interference, fraud, and mishandling classified documents. Trump was found liable for fraud in a civil case regarding the overvaluation of his assets and is facing potential criminal trials.
- Silvio Berlusconi: The late former Italian Prime Minister was convicted of tax fraud in 2012 and faced numerous corruption and bribery allegations throughout his political career.
- Jair Bolsonaro: The former Brazilian president is under investigation for spreading election misinformation and allegedly attempting to stage a coup after losing the 2022 election. He also faced inquiries into corruption during his administration.
- Viktor Orbán’s Associates: While Hungary’s prime minister himself has not been convicted, numerous allies in his nationalist government have been accused of corruption, misusing EU funds, and engaging in anti-democratic activities.
- Geert Wilders: The Dutch far-right leader has been convicted of inciting discrimination for his inflammatory remarks against Moroccans in the Netherlands.
These cases highlight a troubling pattern among far-right leaders using their positions for personal gain while undermining democratic institutions.
