French far-right leader Marine Le Pen has been handed a five-year ban from holding public office, effectively blocking her from contesting the 2027 presidential election. The ruling follows her conviction for embezzling European funds to finance her National Rally (RN) party.
Le Pen, who had anticipated a guilty verdict, was reportedly blindsided by the length of the political ban. She left the courtroom before the judge finished detailing the sentence. Alongside the ban, she received a four-year prison sentence—two years to be served under electronic monitoring and two years suspended.
Her lawyer condemned the ruling as “a blow to democracy” and confirmed that Le Pen intends to appeal.
