Marine Le Pen, the leader of the far-right National Rally party in France, has been barred from running for president in the upcoming election after being found guilty of embezzlement. The ruling, which was handed down by a French court, has dealt a major blow to Le Pen’s political ambitions and has left her party scrambling to find a new candidate to represent them in the race.
The embezzlement case against Le Pen dates back to her time as a member of the European Parliament, where she was accused of misusing EU funds to pay her parliamentary assistants. Le Pen denied the allegations, claiming that the charges were politically motivated and were part of a smear campaign against her and her party.
However, the court found Le Pen guilty of embezzlement and ordered her to pay back the funds that she had misused. In addition to being barred from running for president, Le Pen was also sentenced to a suspended prison term and fined €11,000.
The ruling has been met with mixed reactions in France, with some praising the court for holding Le Pen accountable for her actions, while others have accused the judiciary of being biased against her and her party. Le Pen herself has vowed to appeal the decision, saying that she will not give up her fight for the presidency.
The National Rally party, formerly known as the National Front, has been a major player in French politics for decades, with Le Pen taking over the leadership of the party from her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, in 2011. The party has been known for its anti-immigrant and Euroskeptic views, as well as its staunch opposition to globalization and multiculturalism.
With Le Pen now out of the running for president, the National Rally party will have to quickly regroup and find a new candidate to represent them in the election. The party has not yet announced who will be taking Le Pen’s place on the ballot, but whoever it is will have big shoes to fill as they try to rally support for the party and its platform.
The ruling against Le Pen has once again highlighted the issue of corruption and ethics in politics, with many French citizens expressing outrage over the misuse of public funds by a high-profile politician. It remains to be seen how this latest scandal will impact the upcoming election and the political landscape in France as a whole.