Marine Le Pen: Who she is and why she was convicted

Contents

• Who is Marine Le Pen

• What was Le Pen accused of

• What was the court ruling

• Le Pen’s ties to Russia

Who is Marine Le Pen?

Marine Le Pen has been the leader of the far-right party National Rally (formerly National Front) for many years. She has run for president of France three times, twice losing in the second round to the current French leader, Emmanuel Macron. She is well known for her pro-Russian stance.

Marine Le Pen was born in France in 1968. Her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, was a politician, a veteran of the Algerian War, and the founder of the National Front.

She earned a law degree and worked as a lawyer in Paris while also engaging in political activities. At the age of 18, she joined her father’s party, and in 2003, she became its vice president.

From 2004 to 2017, Le Pen served as a Member of the European Parliament. After her father stepped down in 2011, she took over leadership of the National Front (renamed National Rally in 2018).

Under Jean-Marie Le Pen, the party’s platform focused on anti-immigration policies, restoring the death penalty, and limiting France’s participation in the European Union. Marine Le Pen rebranded the party, distancing it from overtly racist and antisemitic views, though National Rally remained far-right.

Le Pen advocated for strict immigration controls, proposed cutting social benefits for foreigners, and called for the immediate deportation of criminals.

She emphasized the importance of “national priority,” favoring French citizens over foreigners in social matters.

Throughout her political career, Le Pen has run for president three times. In 2012, she finished third with 18% of the vote, behind François Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy. In 2017, she lost to Emmanuel Macron in the second round (33.9% to 66.1%). Five years later, she again lost to Macron in the second round (41.46% to 58.54%).

In 2022, Le Pen led the National Rally faction in the National Assembly after parliamentary elections. She also participated in the 2024 parliamentary elections, where her party placed third.

What was Le Pen accused of

An investigation into Marine Le Pen began in 2016. The Paris prosecutor's office sought to determine whether the National Rally had used funds intended for EU parliamentary assistants to pay staff working for the party instead.

Under EU rules, lawmakers receive funds to cover expenses, including staff salaries, but these funds cannot be used for party expenses.

In 2022, the European Anti-Fraud Office revealed that Marine Le Pen had misappropriated approximately €137,000 from EU funds for internal party needs and personal expenses while serving as a Member of the European Parliament from 2004 to 2017.

In September 2024, Le Pen stood trial in Paris, accused of misusing European Parliament funds. Investigators claimed she had hired “fake assistants” while serving as an MEP. These individuals received salaries but worked either for her personally or for the party.

On March 31, 2025, the court found Le Pen and eight other MEPs guilty of embezzling funds in the case of National Rally’s parliamentary assistants.

Twelve parliamentary assistants who stood trial alongside the MEPs were also convicted. The total damage in the case was estimated at €2.9 million, as “the European Parliament paid for individuals who worked for the far-right party.”

“The investigation also showed that this was not a case of administrative errors but rather an organized scheme of misappropriation designed to reduce the party’s expenses,” said the presiding judge, Bénédicte de Perthuis.

What was the court ruling

The French court banned Marine Le Pen from running for public office for the next five years. The verdict took effect immediately upon announcement.

This means she cannot participate in the 2027 French presidential elections. However, pre-election polls had predicted that Le Pen would have the highest ratings.

The National Rally leader was also sentenced to four years in prison, two suspended. The remaining two years may be served under electronic monitoring rather than in prison. Le Pen was also fined €100,000.

Marine Le Pen left the courthouse before the verdict was announced. Western media speculate that she will likely appeal the prison sentence, meaning it will not be enforced immediately.

Le Pen’s ties to Russia

In addition to the case of fund misappropriation, Le Pen and her party have long been suspected of close ties to the Russian government.

According to a French parliamentary report and investigative journalists, in 2014, her party took out a €9 million loan from the Czech-Russian bank. The report also noted that National Front members regularly visited Russia and occupied Crimea and consistently voted against European Parliament resolutions unfavorable to Russia.

The parliamentary report characterized Le Pen’s party as a “conduit for spreading Russian disinformation.” Investigations indicated that this activity included supporting Russian political interests and participating in projects aimed at forming a pan-European far-right movement under Russian influence.

Regarding foreign policy, Marine Le Pen is considered one of the strongest advocates for strengthening relations between Russia and France. She has repeatedly expressed support for Russia’s actions in Ukraine and has spoken favorably about the annexation of Crimea.

In 2022, she condemned Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine but called for a “balanced position on Ukraine” and urged sanctions to be structured in a way that “achieves peace rather than destroying the French economy.”

Le Pen claimed that a Russian victory in the war would be disastrous, but she also warned that if Ukraine won, it could lead to “the beginning of World War III.”

More details about Marine Le Pen’s stance on Ukraine and her statements about the war can be found in a separate report.

Sources: Le Figaro, The Guardian, BFMTV, Wikipedia.