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| Marine Le Pen barred from running for public office for five years | Marine Le Pen barred from running for public office for five years |
| (31 minutes later) | |
| Marine Le Pen arriving in court in Paris on Monday morning | Marine Le Pen arriving in court in Paris on Monday morning |
| France's Marine Le Pen has been barred from running for office for five years after being found guilty of misappropriating European funds to finance her far-right National Rally (RN) party. | France's Marine Le Pen has been barred from running for office for five years after being found guilty of misappropriating European funds to finance her far-right National Rally (RN) party. |
| The momentous decision means Le Pen will likely not be able to stand in the 2027 French presidential election. It would have been her fourth attempt, and the one offering the greatest chance of victory. | The momentous decision means Le Pen will likely not be able to stand in the 2027 French presidential election. It would have been her fourth attempt, and the one offering the greatest chance of victory. |
| Judges imposed immediate ineligibility with her conviction, meaning the ban on holding public office will now come into effect even if Le Pen appeals. | Judges imposed immediate ineligibility with her conviction, meaning the ban on holding public office will now come into effect even if Le Pen appeals. |
| She has also been given a four-year prison sentence, of which two will be suspended. The other two can be spent with an electronic tag rather than in custody. | She has also been given a four-year prison sentence, of which two will be suspended. The other two can be spent with an electronic tag rather than in custody. |
| Le Pen has also been given a €100,000 (£82,635) fine. | Le Pen has also been given a €100,000 (£82,635) fine. |
| She will very likely appeal the jail sentence, so it will not apply now. | She will very likely appeal the jail sentence, so it will not apply now. |
| At the start of the reading of the verdict, the judge, Bénédicte de Perthuis, said Le Pen had been at the "heart of the system" which saw the embezzlement of €2.9m worth of European funds. | At the start of the reading of the verdict, the judge, Bénédicte de Perthuis, said Le Pen had been at the "heart of the system" which saw the embezzlement of €2.9m worth of European funds. |
| Follow live: French far-right leader Marine Le Pen barred from running for public office for five years | |
| Le Pen was accused, along with more than 20 other senior party figures, of hiring assistants who worked on her RN party affairs rather than for the European Parliament which paid them. | Le Pen was accused, along with more than 20 other senior party figures, of hiring assistants who worked on her RN party affairs rather than for the European Parliament which paid them. |
| During the trial last year, Le Pen denied she had committed "the slightest irregularity". | During the trial last year, Le Pen denied she had committed "the slightest irregularity". |
| There has not yet been any comment from Le Pen, who left court before the sentence was issued alongside other defendants and headed to the RN's Paris headquarters. She is expected to give an interview to French TV at 20:00 (19:00 BST). | There has not yet been any comment from Le Pen, who left court before the sentence was issued alongside other defendants and headed to the RN's Paris headquarters. She is expected to give an interview to French TV at 20:00 (19:00 BST). |
| At the weekend, Le Pen had told media that while she was "not nervous", the judges had "the power of life or death over the [political] movement." | At the weekend, Le Pen had told media that while she was "not nervous", the judges had "the power of life or death over the [political] movement." |
| Shortly before her sentencing, Le Pen received messages of support from the Kremlin, Hungary's Viktor Orban and Italy's Matteo Salvini. | Shortly before her sentencing, Le Pen received messages of support from the Kremlin, Hungary's Viktor Orban and Italy's Matteo Salvini. |
| "It is not just Marine Le Pen who has been unfairly sentenced: it's French democracy that has been executed," Jordan Bardella, the president of the RN, wrote on X. | "It is not just Marine Le Pen who has been unfairly sentenced: it's French democracy that has been executed," Jordan Bardella, the president of the RN, wrote on X. |
| But some of Le Pen's opponents have also stated they disapprove of the judge's decision. | But some of Le Pen's opponents have also stated they disapprove of the judge's decision. |
| "The choice to dismiss an elected official should only belong to the people," said Jean-Luc Mélenchon of the far-left France Unbowed (LFI). | "The choice to dismiss an elected official should only belong to the people," said Jean-Luc Mélenchon of the far-left France Unbowed (LFI). |
| And Laurent Wauquiez, of the right-wing Republicans, said that the decision would "weigh very heavily on the functioning of our democracy". | And Laurent Wauquiez, of the right-wing Republicans, said that the decision would "weigh very heavily on the functioning of our democracy". |
| "It's undoubtedly not the route that should have been taken." | "It's undoubtedly not the route that should have been taken." |
| The reading of the verdict, which started shortly after 10:00 (09:00 BST), took nearly three hours. |