France's far-right leader Le Pen sentenced to prison and banned from office in embezzlement trial
Last edited Mon Mar 31, 2025, 08:20 AM - Edit history (2)
Source: NBC News
March 31, 2025, 5:26 AM EDT
March 31, 2025, 5:26 AM EDT
Marine Le Pen, the leader of France's far-right party, was handed a four-year prison sentence and banned from holding public office for five years by a French court Monday, in what could be the biggest setback for her political cause in a generation.
Until this week, Le Pen had looked like the likeliest winner in France's next presidential election set for 2027, but she was found guilty Monday by a court of embezzling European Union funds.
When handing down its sentence, the court said the crimes committed by Le Pen, 56, warranted an immediate ban from public office, Reuters reported.
While Le Pen may yet successfully appeal the sentence — it will not be applied until she has exhausted all avenues of appeal — the four-year sentence, two years of it suspended, and the ban on seeking public office until the end of the decade will come as a massive blow to the French far right and may spell the end of her political career.
Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/france-le-pen-marine-guilty-right-national-rally-paris-embezzlement-rcna198816
Article updated.
Previous article -
Marine Le Pen, the leader of France's far-right party, was handed a four-year prison sentence and banned from holding public office for five years by a French court Monday, in what could be the biggest setback for her political cause in a generation.
Until this week, Le Pen had looked like the likeliest winner in France's next presidential election set for 2027, but was found guilty Monday by a court of embezzling European Union funds.
When handing down its sentence, the court said the crimes committed by Le Pen, 56, warranted an immediate ban from public office, Reuters reported.
While Le Pen may yet successfully appeal the sentence -- it will not be applied until she has exhausted all avenues of appeal -- the four-year sentence, two years of it suspended, and the ban on seeking public office until the end of the decade will come as a massive blow to the French far-right and may spell the end of her political career.
Original article/headline -
March 31, 2025, 5:26 AM EDT
A French court on Monday found Marine Le Pen guilty of embezzling European Union funds in a verdict that could end the far-right leader's plans to run for the French presidency in the country's next elections.
While the court is yet to announce her sentence, the Paris prosecutor had previously requested that Le Pen, 56, face a five-year prison sentence and a five-year ban from public office, along with a fine of 300,000 euros ($316,860) if found guilty. Judges can choose to adopt, modify, or ignore that request.
Delivering his ruling Monday, the judge Benedicte de Perthuis said "it was established that all these people were actually working for the party, that their (EU) lawmaker had not given them any tasks," according to Reuters.
He added that the investigations also showed that "these were not administrative errors... but embezzlement within the framework of a system put in place to reduce the party's costs."
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