Marine Le Pen sentenced to three years in prison, one year of which will be served under house arrest with an electronic tag: the consequences for 2027

The Paris Court of Appeal handed down its ruling on Tuesday in the case of the parliamentary assistants of the National Front. Marine Le Pen She was found guilty of misappropriating public funds and sentenced to three years in prison, two of which were suspended. The one-year prison sentence will be served under house arrest with an electronic monitoring bracelet. The leader of the National Rally was also fined €100.000 and given a further 45-month ban from holding public office, 30 months of which were suspended.

The court confirms the existence of a system for embezzling funds.

After a lengthy reading of its ruling, the Court of Appeal determined that the charges against the defendants were particularly serious. The presiding judge referred to a "system of operation" implemented under the leadership of Jean-Marie Le Pen and later Marine Le Pen, aimed at diverting European Parliament funds intended to pay parliamentary assistants.

The judges noted that this system had continued for eleven years and three presidential terms, despite repeated warnings from the European Parliament. The damages are estimated at €2,8 million. The court emphasized, however, that it did not find any personal enrichment on the part of the defendants.

Before Marine Le Pen, several former National Front officials were also convicted. Fernand Le Rachinel, in particular, received a two-year suspended prison sentence, a €15.000 fine, and a one-year ban from holding public office.

A sentence that Marine Le Pen deemed incompatible with a presidential campaign

This conviction comes just days after Marine Le Pen publicly stated that she could not see herself conducting a presidential campaign while wearing an electronic bracelet.

During an appearance on LCI on July 1st, the leader of the National Rally explained that such a measure would, in her opinion, be incompatible with the constraints of a national campaign. She argued that a presidential candidate should be "completely free to move about" and stated that it did not seem "possible" to campaign while being subject to an electronic bracelet.

A few days before the verdict, she also asserted that she was not afraid of the judges' decision, stating that she would continue her political fight "no matter what".

The National Rally faces a new challenge

This judgment constitutes a decisive moment for the National Rally in the run-up to the 2027 presidential election. The precise consequences of the ineligibility penalty, as well as any appeals that could be launched by Marine Le Pen, will now be decisive for the political future of the RN leader.

Meanwhile, Jordan Bardella, who had been following the decision from party headquarters, appears more than ever as the alternative likely to carry the movement's colors if Marine Le Pen were to be prevented from competing.