Summary
A French court found far-right leader Marine Le Pen guilty of embezzling over €3 million in EU funds, potentially ending her 2027 presidential bid.
The judge ruled Le Pen and 24 others misused European Parliament funds between 2004 and 2016 to pay National Rally party staff, calling it a deliberate scheme, not an error.
Prosecutors had sought five years’ prison and a public office ban. Even with an appeal, a provisional execution could bar her candidacy.
Wait, being convicted ends political careers? Hitler and Trump wore their convictions with honor and used them to gin up support to great effect. Who’s to say Le Pen doesn’t somehow do the same?
5 years ineligibility means she can’t run for president in 2027 or for another MP seat. It means others will take over and gain visibility over her.
And 2 years in prison is going to cook her career prospects too.
She’s not going to prison, she gets an ankle monitor and house arrest I believe.
Yea, 2 years house arrest. Big deal.