Marine Le Pen banned from running in 2027 presidential election

Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right Rassemblement National (RN) has been banned from running in France's 2027 presidential election by a Paris court due to her role in the misuse of EU funds. 

Ms Le Pen, who left the courtroom as the verdict was announced, was banned from holding public office for five years with immediate effect, ordered to wear an electronic bracelet for four years (two years suspended) and fined €100,000.

The court ruled that former lawyer Ms Le Pen was “at the heart of a system that misused EU funds since 2009”. 

Ms Le Pen, alongside 24 other RN members, was accused of using over €6.8million of EU-allocated funds to pay European parliamentary assistants for its MEPs when in fact they were working for the Front National (FN), which became the RN in 2018.

Prosecutors had sought a five-year prison sentence, a fine of €300,000, and a five-year ban from holding public office - with immediate effect. 

As the RN’s former president and current parliamentary leader, Ms Le Pen is widely considered a frontrunner in the 2027 presidential elections, having won over 40% of the vote in the 2022 elections when she lost to Mr Macron’s 58%.

Her fellow accused include RN vice-president Louis Aliot, mayor of Perpignan, Nicolas Bay, regional councillor for Normandy, Julien Odoul, regional councillor for Bourgogne-Franche-Comté and Wallerand de Saint-Just, regional councillor for Ile-de-France.

Mr Aliot and Mr Bay were also banned from running for public offices. 

While the ban means that Ms Le Pen cannot stand in the presidential election, she can remain as MP for Pas-de-Calais until the next parliamentary election due to an exception in the rule on immediate bans for MPs and senators 

Ban effective immediately but Le Pen will appeal

In a statement, Ms Le Pen's lawyer, Me Rodolphe Bosselut, confirmed that his client would appeal. 

However, due to the 'immediate effect' of the ban, Ms Le Pen will be unable to run for office while the appeal is ongoing - and until it succeeds.

"I find this element particularly troubling," said Me Bosselut. "The court ruled the 'immediate effect' of the ban was justifiable on the basis that Ms Le Pen had sought to defend herself in court citing the statute of limitations.

"The court claimed that this amounts to a risk of her reoffending, which is absurd and equates to criminalising a legal defense, which I find particularly scandalous."

The ban on Ms Le Pen from running for office means that RN President Jordan Bardella - who is not implicated in the affair - is likely to replace her as the RN’s 2027 presidential candidate.

Ms Le Pen, whom RN colleagues describe as in a "combative" mood, is scheduled to speak to French television on the 20 heures programme TF1 at 20:00 on Monday, March 31.

The Paris court ruling

The Paris court released its verdict in a two-hour-long ruling on March 31. In particular it found:

• Ms Le Pen was guilty of misuse of public funds and sentenced to ineligibility to hold public office for five years - effective immediately -  a four year sentence with an electronic bracelet and a fine of €100,000

• Eight MEPs were also found guilty: Bruno Gollnisch (one year with electronic bracelet, a €50,000 fine and five-year ban); Nicolas Bay (six months with electronic bracelet, €8,000 fine and three-year ban); Dominique Bilde (eighteen-month suspended sentence and three-year ban); Mylène Troszczynski (eighteen-month suspended prison sentence and three years suspended ban); Marie-Christine Boutonnet (eighteen-month suspended prison sentence and three years suspended ban); Marie-Christine Arnautu (eighteen-month suspended sentence, an €8,000 fine and three-year ban); Fernand Le Rachinel (two-year suspended sentence, a €15,000 fine and three year ban)

• The total value of the funds misused was €2.9million - less than the €6.8million figure put forward by prosecutors

• Ms Le Pen guilty of personally misusing €474,000 of public funds

• She was “at the heart of the system since 2009” and “entered with authority and determination” into the then FN’s systematic misuse of funds amounting to €1.8million 

• Louis Aliot sentenced to 18 months (12 months suspended) with an electronic bracelet and three-year ban from holding office, but without immediate effect and able to remain as mayor of Perpignan.

“The severity of the offences is due to their systemic nature, their duration and the amount of funds misused, along with elected status of the perpetrators and the damage done to public trust and the rules of democracy,” announced the court.

“The offences were precisely an infringement of the rules of the democratic process to the detriment of the electorate. In these circumstances, it is necessary to impose a ban from holding office.”

Comment: Court ban on Marine Le Pen from holding office would anger French voters

‘Ban will not weaken us’

Mr Aliot told French media on Monday that a ban from politics could ultimately strengthen the party’s cause.

“People would be outraged, and it would send shockwaves through the system,” he told TF1. “Our voters will be watching this closely, either way, it won't weaken us and we'll be in the fight to win the election."

He added that the immediate ban from holding office placed too much power in the hands of judges - a position that found support among politicians from the left-wing La France Insoumise (LFI).

“I don't think that the courts should decide things that should be decided at the ballot box,” LFI MP Eric Coquerel told radio LCI.

However, Socialist Party Olivier Faure argued that French voters want to see more equality in the way powerful individuals are treated by the law.

"The reality is that the sentences handed down are, in spite of everything, fairly light each time,” he told France 2. “We cannot say, every time a decision upsets us, that judges have been politicised.”