Marine Le Pen found guilty of embezzling funds

A court in Paris has handed down a guilty verdict to Marine Le Pen, leader of the National Rally party, and eight Members of the European Parliament from her political force. 

They were found guilty of embezzling state funds through the creation of fictitious jobs. This verdict deprives Le Pen of the opportunity to run for President of France in 2027, according to BFMTV.

The essence of the charges: how the scheme worked

The investigation established that Marine Le Pen and her associates used the European Parliament budget to fund their own party. According to the court, funds allocated for the salaries of parliamentary assistants were not used for parliamentary activities but were effectively directed towards the needs of the National Rally. The total damage is estimated at €2.9 million.

Marine Le Pen's reaction

The right-wing leader had previously stated on multiple occasions that she considered the charges to be politically motivated. However, the court found her guilty and sentenced her to four years in prison, two of which will be served under house arrest with an electronic tag.

Political disqualification

In addition to the prison sentence, Le Pen has been stripped of her right to stand for election for five years. This decision takes effect immediately, putting her future political career at risk.