French court weighs office ban for far-right leader Le Pen, jeopardising her 2027 presidential bid

French prosecutors have intensified their legal push against Marine Le Pen and senior figures of her National Rally party , seeking to bar them from holding public office in a case that could effectively derail her 2027 presidential bid and reignite accusations of using legal processes to sideline political opponents.

Le Pen, 57, is appealing a March 2025 conviction that found her guilty of misusing European Parliament funds between 2004 and 2016. Prosecutors allege that EU parliamentary assistants, paid with public money, were systematically assigned to work for her party, then known as the National Front, rather than performing duties linked to legislative work in Brussels or Strasbourg. Investigators estimate the scheme cost the European Parliament between €2.9 million and €4.8 million , with Le Pen personally accused of embezzling around €474,000 . The party has been ordered to repay nearly €3.8 million in financial and moral damages.

During the appeal trial, which began last month, Le Pen acknowledged that some assistants carried out party-related tasks while being paid as EU aides, calling it “a mistake” but rejecting claims of organised fraud. Prosecutor Thierry Ramonatxo told the Paris appeals court that the alleged actions constituted “a very serious breach of probity” that gave the party a concrete financial advantage at the expense of public funds. Prosecutors are asking the court to uphold guilty verdicts, impose bans on elected office and confirm prison sentences and fines, with a verdict expected before the summer.

Another prosecutor, Stéphane Madoz-Blanchet, described the affair as “a system” deliberately organised and carefully concealed by party leaders. The appeal involves Le Pen, 10 other defendants and the National Rally as a legal entity, and could result in outcomes ranging from acquittal to renewed convictions carrying penalties of up to 10 years in prison and €1 million in fines .

Beyond the courtroom, the case has sharpened claims that judicial action is being used to take out political opponents at a time of widespread voter disillusionment with France’s political establishment. Le Pen’s supporters argue that populist and anti-establishment figures face disproportionate legal scrutiny, narrowing democratic choice ahead of a crucial election. Critics counter that the proceedings reflect the independence of France’s courts and stricter enforcement of accountability rules, rather than political persecution.

Le Pen is widely described as a far-right leader because of her party’s ideological positions. National Rally promotes hardline immigration controls, prioritisation of French nationals over foreigners in jobs and welfare, scepticism toward the European Union, and a strong emphasis on national sovereignty, law and order, and cultural identity. While Le Pen has worked to soften the party’s image and distance it from overt extremism associated with its past, analysts say its core nationalist agenda remains firmly intact.

Until her conviction last year, Le Pen was widely regarded as a leading contender to succeed President Emmanuel Macron, who is constitutionally barred from seeking a third consecutive term. The legal uncertainty surrounding her candidacy has since reshaped France’s political landscape, with possible outcomes that could redefine the 2027 presidential race. Should she be declared ineligible to stand for office, Le Pen has named Jordan Bardella , the party’s 30-year-old president, as her preferred successor, underscoring the case’s lasting implications for France’s most powerful far-right movement.