Marine Le Pen, the former leader of the conservative party Rassemblement National (RN), has been sentenced to four years in prison, with two years suspended and two under electronic monitoring. She was also ordered to pay a significant fine and is banned from holding public office for five years.
The court found her guilty of embezzling European Parliament funds, which she allegedly diverted for party activities in France. Le Pen denies the wrongdoing and has announced plans to appeal the verdict.
The conviction has sparked outrage among her supporters, with many expressing their anger on social media. According to French media, the judge, Benedicte de Perthuis, who presided over the trial in Paris, received a large number of messages containing personal threats. The judge was placed under police protection shortly after the verdict, with patrols stationed outside her home.
The Paris prosecutor’s office has launched an investigation into the threats, with the case being handled by a specialized unit of the French police that deals with serious crimes against individuals.
This is the second investigation into threats related to Le Pen’s trial, with the first one launched in January over murder threats posted on the right-wing website Riposte Laïque, which targeted the judge, as well as two state prosecutors.
Le Pen, a critic of NATO’s presence in Europe and EU sanctions against Russia, has run for the French presidency three times, finishing second in the 2017 and 2022 elections. Her party currently holds the most seats in the National Assembly. According to a recent Ifop poll, Le Pen is leading the presidential race by more than 10 points over her next potential rival, former Prime Minister Édouard Philippe.
Le Pen believes the verdict is politically motivated and intends to challenge it. The Paris appeals court has announced that it will likely render a decision on Le Pen’s case by summer 2026. If the verdict is overturned, she could potentially run in the 2027 presidential election.