Displaying items by tag: embezzlement

Marine le Pen has been barred from public office for five years due to EU fund embezzlement, jeopardising her 2027 presidential hopes. Though her four-year jail sentence (two years suspended) is pending appeal, the disqualification took immediate effect. Her party, National Rally (RN), appeared stunned and unprepared, holding emergency talks. While an appeal might overturn the ban, odds remain slim. Party president Jordan Bardella would be a potential successor, but not everyone is a fan, partly because he is only 29. Despite the ruling, Le Pen defiantly vowed to fight on, decrying the court’s decision as political. In the short term, the RN may gain support as the verdict reinforces their anti-establishment stance. Long-term, losing the charismatic le Pen may weaken their appeal. Meanwhile, in parliament she may abandon any pretence of cooperation, potentially destabilising prime minister François Bayrou's fragile administration.