In a landmark decision that might drastically alter France’s political future, Marine Le Pen, the country’s far-right leader, was found guilty of embezzlement on Monday and given a sentence of four years in jail, with two years suspended, and a five-year ban from holding public office. Le Pen and her National Rally (RN) party were found guilty by a Paris court of embezzling more than 4 million euros ($4.33 million) from the European Parliament to pay employees in France.
According to Judge Benedicte de Perthuis’s decision, Le Pen was “at the heart” of the plot. Even though Le Pen plans to appeal, the judgment’s “provisional execution” clause implies that her prohibition from public office would stand until an appeal overturns the ruling before the 2027 presidential election, in which she was a front-runner according to polls.
Le Pen, her party, and two dozen party officials were charged with misappropriating about 4 million euros ($4.33 million) from the European Parliament to pay employees in France. The defendants contended that the allegations had overly limited the duties of a legislative aide and that the funds had been utilized lawfully.
Le Pen will probably file an appeal to escape the sanctions. But only if any appeal is upheld prior to the election will the “provisional execution” restriction that prevents her from holding office be lifted.
Who is Marine Le Pen?
The National Rally (RN) party chief, Le Pen, has led the French right-wing movement in recent years.
By promising anti-immigrant policies and using populist narratives, she became a well-known figure in French politics.
When her father, Jean Marine Le Pen, created her party in 1972, it was known as the National Front and was known for its anti-Semitic views. However, she softened her position and changed the name to the National Rally after losing the 2017 election by 33% of the vote.
In light of growing immigration concerns throughout the European Union, she has now participated in mainstream discourses while cultivating an identity-political voter base. She changed the party’s long-standing anti-Semitic position to one that is anti-Muslim and targets immigrants, vowing to impose a ban before the 2022 presidential election.
She received more than 41% of the vote in the second round of the 2022 presidential election as her campaigns gained momentum amid mounting public dissatisfaction with President Emmanuel Macron over the rising cost of living.
Arnaud Benedetti, a political analyst and author of a book about the RN, predicted that the ban on Le Pen will have an impact on voters and other parties.
The future of National Rally
The party’s de facto candidate for the election may be Le Pen’s right-hand man, 29-year-old party president Jordan Bardella, who has increased the RN’s popularity among younger people.
Experts, however, question if he has the background necessary to appeal to a wider range of voters and win a victory.
