Le Pen pledges to challenge her conviction among gathered supporters, yet anticipates a scarcity of widespread protests.
Rewritten Article:
Marine Le Pen, the firebrand leader of France's National Rally (RN) party, is in hot water after being slapped with a conviction for embezzling EU funds and a subsequent ban from office. Despite the upheaval, she's vowed to carry on.
A rally was called to rally supporters in Place Vauban, Paris, near Les Invalides, aiming to "defend freedom, save democracy, and back Marine!" As CNN's team on the ground reported, a few thousand enthusiasts waved tricolor flags, expressing their support for Le Pen.
Addressing the crowd on Sunday, Le Pen didn't shy away from accusing the ruling of being politically motivated. "This ain't a court call, it's a political stunt!" she declared. Competitive rallies by left-wing groups took place on the other side of Paris, with organizers, Les Écologistes and France Unbowed, claiming thousands were in attendance. Their large banner read, "Don't let the far-right skate!"
On Monday, a Paris court convicted Le Pen for misuse of over €4.5 million ($4.38 million) of EU funds from 2004 to 2016. She falsely claimed her party's political staff were working as assistants to members of the European Parliament during this period. The president of the case, Bénédicte de Perthuis, described Le Pen's actions as a "serious and ongoing attack on democratic governance in Europe and notably, France."
Le Pen lashed out at the decision, calling it "straight-up politics" in a TV interview and insisting that the "rule of law" was "bullied."
The decision has significantly undermined Le Pen's quest to capture the Elysée Palace at her fourth attempt in 2027, when current President Emmanuel Macron will be unable to run again. The ruling drew strong criticism from Le Pen's European allies and even some of her opponents, who expressed concern over the sentence's implications.
Incidentally, Le Pen has announced her intention to appeal the ban, with the Paris Court of Appeal considering a decision as early as June 2026. Should her appeal be successful, she could still participate in the presidential elections the subsequent year.
Contributing reporting: CNN's Saskya Vandoorne, Pierre Bairin and Todd Symons
Enrichment Data:
- Context: Marine Le Pen is a prominent French politician and leader of the National Rally party. She has been found guilty of embezzling EU funds and banned from running for public office for five years, potentially impeding her ability to compete in the 2027 French presidential election. However, an appeals process offers her a chance to challenge this decision.
- Conviction and Sentencing: Le Pen was convicted of embezzling funds and given a fine of €100,000 and a four-year prison sentence, with two years suspended and the remaining two to be served with electronic monitoring at home. However, the financial penalty and imprisonment will not be enforced until her appeals process is complete.
- Ban from Public Office: The court also barred Le Pen from running for public office for five years, though the ineligibility enacted provisionally immediately despite her appeal. If her appeal is successful, she could potentially compete in the 2027 presidential election.
- Appeals Process: An appeals court in Paris is scheduled to rule on Le Pen's case by summer 2026, offering a potential avenue for her to clear or modify her sentence, with the possibility of participating in the 2027 presidential elections if successful.
- Public Reaction: The decision has been criticized as politically motivated and a "witch hunt," while some legal experts argue that the provisional enforcement of Le Pen's ineligibility is rare in France and unusual for the severity of the case.
- Despite the conviction and ban, Marine Le Pen, the European leader from France, has announced her intention to appeal and continue her pursuit of the Elysée Palace in 2027.
- Protesters gathered on both sides of Paris, with supporters rallying at Place Vauban, aiming to defend Le Pen, while her opponents with Les Écologistes and France Unbowed, protested, asserting that the far-right should not be allowed to skate.
- The world will watch as the Paris Court of Appeal considers Le Pen's appeal in June 2026, a decision that could purely decide the fate of the far-right political leader in the 2027 presidential elections.
