Paris — French far-right leader Marine Le Pen has been barred from holding political office for five years after a Paris court found her guilty of embezzling European Union funds.
The court sentenced Le Pen to four years in prison, with two years suspended, allowing her to serve the term under house arrest. In addition, she was fined €100,000 ($108,000). Her lawyer has confirmed plans to appeal the verdict.
The court also ordered Le Pen’s party, the National Rally (RN), to pay €2 million in fines related to the €4.1 million it was accused of misappropriating.
Judge Bénédicte de Perthuis stated that Le Pen’s actions represented a “serious and lasting attack on the rules of democratic life in Europe, particularly in France.” The judge added that the immediate ban from office was necessary to prevent “democratic public unrest” that could arise if a convicted embezzler were elected.
Le Pen’s political future now hangs in the balance as the appeal process unfolds, casting uncertainty over the leadership of the far-right movement in France.
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