Le Pen's Future in Jeopardy: Guilty Verdict Shakes French Politics

Marine Le Pen, leader of France's National Rally, has been convicted of embezzling over €3 million of EU funds. Her presidential aspirations for 2027 are in doubt, following a guilty verdict. Le Pen accuses the prosecution of political targeting, as she faces potential jail time and fines.

A French court delivered a blow to National Rally leader Marine Le Pen, finding her guilty of embezzling European Union funds, reported Al Jazeera on Monday. The court determined that Le Pen misappropriated more than €3 million from the European Parliament, redirecting the funds to pay members of her party.

This ruling could derail Le Pen's aspirations for the 2027 presidential race, where she was leading according to polls cited by Al Jazeera. With the potential of being declared ineligible for office, Le Pen accused prosecutors of plotting her "political death," raising the stakes for potential imprisonment and hefty financial penalties.

Le Pen made a swift exit from the courtroom before the complete reading of her sentence. As a current member of the French parliament, she faced conviction alongside eight MEPs and 12 aides from her party. They stood accused of improperly using European Parliament funds for party staffing purposes in France, according to CNN reports.

Paris prosecutors proposed a five-year prison sentence, with two years suspended, a €300,000 fine, and a five-year ban from holding office—penalties sought to be upheld even in the event of an appeal. Initially poised to potentially succeed Emmanuel Macron as president, Le Pen's political future now hangs in the balance.

The National Rally, under Le Pen's leadership, had attempted to revamp its image, shedding its past associations with racism and antisemitism in efforts to broaden its appeal to voters, CNN and ANI noted.

(With inputs from agencies.)