A French court on March 31 convicted far-right leader Marine Le Pen on charges of embezzlement of public funds over a fake jobs scam at the EU parliament, a ruling which could derail her 2027 presidential hopes. [Photo/Agencies]
France's far-right is in crisis after Marine Le Pen, grandee of the National Rally, or RN, party was banned from running for public office following her conviction for misusing public funds.
Analysts have warned there could now be a succession vacuum and reputational damage to RN, although Le Pen has said she plans to appeal.
Le Pen, a three-time presidential candidate and long-standing figure from the French far-right, was sentenced on Monday by the Paris Criminal Court to two years of prison and five years of ineligibility. She was also handed a 300,000 euro ($325,000) fine.
During an interview on national TV channel TF1 on Monday evening, Le Pen called her conviction a "political decision" meant to block her from running in the 2027 presidential election.
Camille Dubois, a political analyst writing in Liberation's political column on Monday, described the verdict as "a judicial thunderclap that strips RN of its central figure at a critical time". She said the decision not only targets Le Pen but leaves the entire party in disarray.
Le Pen was found guilty of complicity in the embezzlement of public funds from the European Parliament, where she was a member. The case focused on the misuse of EU money, with assistants formally employed to support members of the European Parliament, or MEPs, found to be working for RN's domestic political operations.
'Misuse of public funds'
Clara Riviere, a legal expert, told France Inter radio: "Even if she appeals, the court has cut off her political future for now. The verdict stands as a warning against systemic misuse of public funds."
Le Pen left the courtroom without commenting and headed directly to the party's headquarters in Paris. There, she held a closed-door crisis meeting with party president Jordan Bardella, French politician Bruno Bilde, and MEP Catherine Griset, who was also convicted in the same case.
Later that afternoon, Le Pen's lawyer, Rodolphe Bosselut, confirmed an appeal would be filed. However, under French law, the ban remains in effect during the appeal process.
The court concluded that the initiative caused an estimated loss of 4.4 million euros to the European Parliament, with 1.8 million euros directly linked to Le Pen's tenure.
Riviere said the case was "not about minor administrative mistakes but about a carefully constructed system set up for the benefit of a political organization".
She added, "The court was clear — public money was misused for partisan interests."
The presiding judge, Benedicte de Perthuis, stated in her ruling that "one cannot be 100 percent dedicated to party work and claim to be a full-time assistant to a European Parliament member". She said the system was designed to shift financial responsibilities from the party onto EU funds.
Pierre Lambert, editor of Le Monde Politics, wrote on Monday: "This verdict is a moment of reckoning for a party built around one personality. RN must now rebuild, fast."
He warned that RN faces dual challenges, namely "finding a new leader capable of carrying national ambitions, and restoring voter trust ahead of the European elections".
Dubois added: "This is not just a political blow; it's an identity crisis. The party was shaped around Marine Le Pen — and her name is now tied to fraud."
Bardella is widely seen as the front-runner to replace Le Pen, having led the party since 2022.
However, questions remain about his experience and ability to hold together RN's complex coalition of supporters and regional leaders.
The writer is a freelance journalist for China Daily.
