Marine Le Pen Banned from Public Office

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen has been found guilty of misusing European Union funds, leading to an immediate five-year ban from holding public office.

The ruling, delivered by a French court on Monday, also includes a four-year prison sentence, with two years suspended and two to be served under house arrest with an electronic tag.

The court determined that Le Pen and her National Rally (RN) party misused €3 million ($3.25 million) in EU funds intended for parliamentary assistants, instead diverting the money to pay party staff in France between 2004 and 2016. Prosecutors had pushed for an immediate ban from office, which will prevent Le Pen from running in the 2027 presidential election, where she was considered a strong contender.

Le Pen, 56, has denied any wrongdoing, calling the case a political attack aimed at ending her career. Before the ruling, she warned that a guilty verdict could mean her "political death" and claimed the case was an attempt to silence millions of voters who supported her movement.

Her legal team has announced plans to appeal the decision, which would trigger a retrial likely in 2026, just months before the presidential race. However, the ban remains in effect even during the appeal process.

The ruling also found eight other RN politicians guilty, alongside 12 parliamentary assistants accused of involvement in the scheme.

### Political Fallout and International Reactions

The verdict has sparked strong reactions across the political spectrum. RN president Jordan Bardella, seen as a possible replacement for Le Pen in 2027, called the ruling an "execution" of French democracy. Other far-right leaders, including Italy’s Matteo Salvini, criticized the decision, calling it a "declaration of war by Brussels." Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban also expressed support for Le Pen.

Meanwhile, French Communist Party leader Fabien Roussel and Green Party leader Marine Tondelier defended the court’s decision, insisting that Le Pen must serve her sentence like any other defendant.

In an unusual move, the Kremlin also weighed in, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov claiming the case was further evidence of democracy being "under threat" in Europe.

Despite the legal setback, Le Pen remains a significant figure in French politics, and her party is expected to challenge the ruling in the months ahead.