Marine Le Pen Found Guilty of Embezzlement by French Court
The ruling could complicate her plans to run for president in 2027.
Marine Le Pen, the French far-right leader, was found guilty of embezzlement by a criminal court in Paris on Monday, jeopardizing her plans to compete in France’s 2027 presidential election.
The verdict was a major blow to the perennial presidential ambitions of Ms. Le Pen, an anti-immigrant, nationalist politician who was widely seen as a front-runner in the 2027 race, despite three past failed bids.
Ms. Le Pen, 56, has long denied any wrongdoing in the case, which involved accusations that her party, the National Rally, illegally used several million euros in European Parliament funds for party expenses between 2004 and 2016.
Her political fate remained unclear as she awaited sentencing from the judge, who will decide if her conviction is accompanied by an immediate ban on her running for public office.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Roger Cohen is the Paris Bureau chief for The Times, covering France and beyond. He has reported on wars in Lebanon, Bosnia and Ukraine, and between Israel and Gaza, in more than four decades as a journalist. At The Times, he has been a correspondent, foreign editor and columnist. More about Roger Cohen