France's 'Far-Right Surge' Le Pen Disqualified from Candidacy... "5-Year Election Ban"

Convicted of Embezzlement in First Trial
Presidential Bid in 2027 Doomed Unless Appeal Succeeds

Marine Le Pen, a member of the far-right National Rally (RN) who was eyeing the next French presidential election, has been sentenced to a five-year ban on eligibility to run for office. While the mainstream French political circles, concerned about Le Pen's momentum, welcomed the decision, the far-right camp argued that political disputes should be decided by the people's vote.

Marine Le Pen, member of the French far-right party Rassemblement National (RN). Photo by Reuters-Yonhap News

On the 31st (local time), the Paris Criminal Court ruled that Le Pen and other RN officials had systematically conspired from 2004 to 2016 to embezzle 2.9 million euros (approximately 4.6 billion KRW) of European Parliament subsidies, using the funds for party staff salaries and other expenses.

Accordingly, Le Pen was found guilty of embezzlement and other charges and sentenced to four years in prison (with two years under electronic bracelet house arrest) and fined 100,000 euros. The court notably imposed a five-year ban on Le Pen’s eligibility to run for office. Unlike in South Korea, where the ban applies only after the sentence is finalized, in France, even if Le Pen appeals and the second trial proceeds, she cannot run in any elections held during that period.

Le Pen’s lawyer criticized the ruling as a "blow to democracy" and announced plans to appeal immediately.

Some speculate that the conclusion of the appeal trial could come as early as just before the 2027 presidential election. If the appeal is finalized before the candidate registration and, unlike the first trial, the immediate application of the eligibility ban is excluded, Le Pen could run for president. However, the tight schedule and the judicial risk of a final trial would put her at a significant disadvantage during the campaign.

If the appeal court upholds the eligibility ban, Le Pen’s 2027 presidential bid will be thwarted.

Having increased her support by winning 33.9% in the 2017 presidential runoff and 41.46% in 2022, Le Pen was on the verge of reaching the 50% mark, making this setback a major blow just before the presidency.

As the possibility of the strong presidential contender Le Pen being disqualified by the court grows, the French political scene is shaken. Marine Tondelier, leader of the left-wing Green Party, told AFP, "The ban on eligibility is a provision stipulated by law," adding, "When this provision was voted on in parliament, Le Pen did not oppose it. Therefore, she is subject to the law like everyone else." Priscilla Th?bault, a member of President Macron’s Renaissance party, said, "The law exists, and it is everyone's responsibility to respect it, especially politicians."

On the other hand, voices from the right and far-right criticize the judiciary for excessive interference in politics.

U.S. President Donald Trump said, "Many people thought she would not be found guilty of anything," calling it a "very big problem." Trump noted, "She is banned from running for five years, yet she is a strong candidate," and compared the situation to his own experience of being criminally indicted four times during his presidential campaigns, saying, "This is very much like this country (the U.S.)."

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, criticized on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), "The radical left abuses the legal system to imprison opponents when they cannot win through democratic votes. This is their global standard."

Laurent Wauquiez, the Republican Party’s leader in the National Assembly, told AFP, "It is undesirable in a democracy for an elected representative to be banned from running in elections," adding, "Political disputes should be decided at the ballot box."

Far-right alliances in Europe also criticized the judicialization of politics. Matteo Salvini, Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister, stated in a press release, "Those who fear the judgment of voters often find comfort in court rulings," adding, "In Paris, they are trying to exclude Le Pen from politics by convicting her."

Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson for the Kremlin, said at a regular briefing, "More and more European countries are heading down a path that tramples on democratic norms."