Le Pen is immediately banned from the election; the length of the ban is unknown.

The French far-right politician Marine Le Pen's aspirations to run for president in 2027 were put in jeopardy after a Parisian criminal court convicted her guilty of embezzlement on Monday. She was instantly disqualified from holding public office for five years.

The decision dealt a serious blow to Ms. Le Pen's long-term aspirations to become president. Despite three unsuccessful attempts, the anti-immigrant, nationalist politician was regarded as a strong contender in the 2027 election. Before the judges had handed her a specific sentence, she walked out of the courtroom with a grim expression and the words "amazing."

She was scheduled to appear on French television later Monday night, but she chose not to talk to the scores of TV crews waiting for her outside the courtroom.

Ms. Le Pen, 56, was also fined 100,000 euros, or around $108,000, and given a four-year prison sentence, two of which were suspended. In the investigation, which involves allegations that her party, the National Rally, unlawfully spent millions of euros in European Parliament funds for party expenditures between 2004 and 2016, she has always denied any wrongdoing.

In an embezzlement case, a French court found Marine Le Pen guilty on Monday, but it did not immediately specify her punishment or the potential consequences for the far-right leader's political future.

As the chief judge found her guilty, Le Pen, who was seated in the front row of the Paris court, did not immediately respond. Later, when the judge went into further detail and said that Le Pen's party had unlawfully exploited funds from the European Parliament for its own gain, she frequently nodded her head in disapproval. She said, "Incredible," once.

Eight other members of her party, who, like her, were also MPs in the European Parliament, were also found guilty by the judge.

Le Pen and her co-defendants might be imprisoned for up to ten years. Another trial would result from their appeal.

Le Pen's main worry is that, even if she files an appeal, the court can rule that she is ineligible to run for office "with immediate effect." She might not be able to run for president in 2027 because of that. This situation has been referred to by her as a "political death."

It was looking like Le Pen and her party were going to lose badly. Twelve additional individuals who were parliamentary assistants to Le Pen and the current National Rally party, previously the National Front, were also found guilty by the court of embezzling public funds, along with her and eight other former European parliamentarians.

Le Pen had been at the center of "a system" that her party employed to embezzle funds from the EU parliament, according to the top judge, who read the decision that she and two other justices had handed. Le Pen and the other accused did not directly enrich themselves, the judge said. However, the ruling characterized the misappropriation as "a democratic bypass" that misled voters and the parliament.

Le Pen and 24 other National Rally leaders were charged with violating the rules of the 27-nation union by using funds meant for parliamentary assistants in the European Union to pay party employees from 2004 to 2016. Le Pen denied any wrongdoing, as did her co-defendants.

Le Pen, 56, has seen an increase in her party's electoral support in recent years, and she finished second to President Emmanuel Macron in the 2017 and 2022 presidential elections.

She contended that disqualification "would have the impact of preventing me of becoming a presidential contender" and disenfranchise her supporters during the nine-week trial that was held in late 2024.

"The movement that I represent has 11 million constituents. Therefore, millions and millions of French people might not be able to vote for their candidate in tomorrow's election," she said to the three-judge panel.

Jordan Bardella, Le Pen's 29-year-old protégé who took over as party leader in 2021, would appear to be her obvious successor if she is unable to run in 2027.

Le Pen refuted claims that she was in charge of a scheme to embezzle funds from the EU parliament for her party, which she chaired from 2011 to 2021. Instead, she contended that it was appropriate to modify the work of the European Parliament-paid assistants to meet the demands of the legislators, including some party-related political activities.

Hearings revealed that Le Pen's personal assistant and bodyguard, who had previously served as her father's bodyguard, were paid for with EU funds.

Le Pen was asked to serve two years in prison and be ineligible for five years, according to the prosecution.

According to Le Pen, she believed they were "only interested" in keeping her from seeking the presidency.