Marine Le Pen sentenced to three years in prison and 15 months' ineligibility
The French far-right leader has been sentenced on appeal for misappropriation of European funds.
Marine Le Pen sentenced to three years in prison and 15 months' ineligibility
French far-right leader Marine Le Pen has been sentenced on appeal to three years' imprisonment and 15 months' ineligibility for misappropriation of European Union funds. The Paris judges handed down the sentence on Tuesday, comprising two years suspended and one year under electronic monitoring.
In the first instance trial in March 2025, Le Pen had received four years' imprisonment, two of which on home confinement with electronic surveillance, as well as five years' ineligibility. This deprivation of passive voting rights had come into effect immediately and had not been suspended by the appeal procedure, unlike the prison sentence.
According to the prosecution, the European parliamentary assistants of the far-right party – then called the Front National – were not working for their respective MPs but for the party itself. The political organisation allegedly improved its finances by having the Parliament pay the salaries of certain staff members. The damage has been estimated at 4.4 million euros.
During the trial, Le Pen rejected all accusations whilst acknowledging involuntary wrongdoing. She had previously ruled out campaigning with an electronic bracelet for the 2027 presidential election.
In the opinion polls, Le Pen and RN party president Jordan Bardella have long occupied the top position. Bardella currently polls at 35 to 36 per cent of voting intentions, Le Pen slightly behind with 32 to 33 per cent.
Source: Kleine Zeitung – https://www.kleinezeitung.at/artikel/35657598/rechtspopulistin-le-pen-zu-15-monaten-nichtwaehlbarkeit-verurteilt
Source: Kleine Zeitung