Who is Marine Le Pen? France’s far-right leader to serve 4 years in prison, banned from running for presidency

France’s far-right leader Marine Le Pen has been banned from running for office for five years, blocking her potential 2027 presidential bid. Le Pen has also been sentenced to four years in prison by a French court on Monday (Mar 31).

Le Pen’s political career suffered a massive hit after she and eight other officials from her National Rally (RN) party were found guilty of misusing European Parliament funds.

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The total fraud estimated at €2.9 million ($3.13 million) involved the use of money intended for EU parliamentary aides to pay assistants who were working for the party between 2004 and 2016. Twelve parliamentary assistants were also convicted of concealing the offence.

Who is Marine Le Pen?

Marine Le Pen, 56, became the head of the then-National Front (later National Rally) in 2011. She quickly took steps towards making the party an electoral force. Le Pen succeeded the co-founder and her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, who died earlier this year.

She worked on changing the image of the party following the controversial legacy of his father, who was often criticised for making anti-Semitic and racist remarks.

Le Pen was third in the 2012 presidential polls within a year after she took over the RN. In the 2017 and 2022 presidential elections, she stood as a runner-up to Emmanuel Macron. She has showcased her influence in French politics, making her party an electable force over the years.

In 2018, she changed the party’s name to Rassemblement National (National Rally), putting forward her policy of “dediabolisation” (de-demonisation), which aimed to make it acceptable to a larger number of voters.

In the snap legislative polls last year, RN emerged as the largest single party in the National Assembly. However, it failed to attain the outright majority it had aimed for. Le Pen used her unprecedented influence in the country’s politics to back a no-confidence vote that collapsed the government of prime minister Michel Barnier.

(With inputs from agencies)