Camilla Jessen
A new court ruling strips Marine Le Pen of a local role.
Marine Le Pen has lost her position as a regional councillor in Pas-de-Calais after being found guilty of embezzling public money.
A court in Lille made the decision, saying the case was serious enough to immediately ban her from holding public office.
While the ruling doesn’t remove her from her national role in the French parliament, it is another setback for her goal of running for president in 2027, Politico reports.
In March, Le Pen and 24 others were found guilty of misusing around €4 million in funds from the European Parliament to help run her party, the far-right National Rally.
Ban Enforced Immediately
Usually in France, if someone appeals a verdict, their sentence is put on hold while the appeal is ongoing.
But in this case, the judges agreed with prosecutors that the crime was too serious, and the ban on holding office should start right away — even if Le Pen appeals.
She has appealed, and a final decision is expected in 2026. Until then, she is fighting to stay in the race for the 2027 election.
Le Pen has also appealed the separate ruling that removed her from her local position in Hénin-Beaumont. That means she can continue in that role for now.
Her lawyer, Thomas Laval, said in a statement: “Ms. Le Pen has decided to appeal this ruling because it stops her from representing the people in Hénin-Beaumont, where she has worked for many years. She is still considered innocent while the appeal is ongoing.”
Trouble Inside Her Party
Le Pen is also facing growing pressure inside her party.
While officials deny any problems, many believe her relationship with party president Jordan Bardella — seen as her possible successor — has become tense.
With legal problems and party questions piling up, this may be the biggest challenge yet for Le Pen as she tries to run for president a fourth time.