Marine Le Pen sentenced

Fanny Marhaug

Updated 14.48 | Published 13.55

 

"Sortie" is written on the sign behind Marine Le Pen. Photo: Aurelien Morissard/AP

Right-wing leader Marine Le Pen was in court in Paris today.

The verdict came on Tuesday afternoon.

Far-right leader Marine Le Pen was convicted last year of misusing EU funds and was also banned from running in public elections for five years.

On Tuesday, the Paris court announced its verdict after Le Pen's appeal and essentially confirmed the previous verdict.

Le Pen was sentenced to a fine of 100,000 euros. She was also sentenced to three years in prison, two of which are suspended. The third year will be served with an electronic anklet, according to Le Monde.

The chances of running are therefore considered small.

Le Pen has run in the French presidential election three times – in 2012, 2017 and 2022. In the 2017 and 2022 elections, she made it to the second round of the election, where she lost to Emmanuel Macron both times.

Misused EU funds

Together with eight other people, she is alleged to have misused EU funds intended for assistants to members of the European Parliament. According to the court, it involved around four million euros.

The court found that the National Rally (RN) used EU funds to pay people who were actually working for the party's activities in France, rather than for its MEPs.

Le Pen has consistently denied the charges, claiming that both the indictment and the verdict are politically motivated.

            

           Marine Le Pen is convicted of embezzlement. Photo: Aurelien Morissard/AP