Paris (AP) – The chief of the extreme French, Marine Le Pen, was sentenced to a ban on presenting herself to a public service to divert the EU funds, a major political earthquake. The decision, which takes effect immediately, is likely to prevent it from presenting itself to the next presidential election in France.
Le Pen, who has been a finalist twice to French President Emmanuel Macron, has appreciated growing support in recent years. Monday’s verdict will weigh heavily on political life, both in France and more broadly in Europe, and on its own future as a political force.
What does the decision say?
For Le Pen, the worst case materialized.
The 56 year old girl from the end to the far right Totemic figure Jean-Marie Le Pen was sentenced to two years under house arrest while wearing an electronic ankle bracelet, and an additional two -year suspended sentence, and five years of ineligibility to the public service with immediate effect.
Le Pen’s lawyer said she would call on the verdict, but she would remain ineligible while she was doing so and could therefore be excluded from the 2027 presidential race. The Pen will not serve the assignment at home until all calls are exhausted, but the prohibition to present himself in the elections will be implemented immediately despite her judicial challenge.
With the elections at only two years, time is exhausted and nothing guarantees that a court of appeal would govern more favorably.
Le Pen and other leaders of the National Rally Party have been sworn for Having used money Intended for the parliamentary aid of the European Union to pay instead of the staff who worked for the party between 2004 and 2016, violating the regulations of the block in 27 countries. The National Rally was called the National Front at the time.
The judge said the Pen had been at the heart of a “system” that his party used to siphon money from the EU. Le Pen, who denied reprehensible acts. was also sentenced to a fine of 100,000 euros ($ 108,000).
Le Pen’s efforts ruined
Monday’s decision came in the midst of the record notes of opinion polls for Le Pen, who hoped that his efforts from decade to orient his party towards the dominant current would end up accelerating during the next presidential election.
Since inheriting the direction of the National Front Party Front Party front in 2011, she worked to break the wall of fear of the extreme right which has so far prohibited their path to the presidency.
She changed the name of the party and launched her embarrassing father in 2015, being part of her efforts to rid the renowned national rally of the defilement of racism and anti -Semitism which clung to the far right for decades.
A cunning politician, Le Pen also transformed his own image of that of an aggressive and anti-system supporter to a spokesperson for sweet ways for forgotten France.
The standardization strategy has borne fruit and the party has become the main political group of the lower room of Parliament, developing a solid network of managers across France.
What is the next step?
Since 2011, Le Pen has been the main figure of the National Rally. Ten years later, Jordan Bardella, 29, succeeded him as the party president so that she can focus on the next presidential election.
Last year, Bardella directed the party campaign for the European elections while Le Pen heads the group of information legislators of the French National Assembly. Under the decision on Monday, Le Pen is authorized to keep his mandate as a deputy.
Bardella had a dazzling rise at the top, perfecting his political skills as president of the party’s youth wing. Although he took care not to overshadow Le Pen, his popularity has increased quickly, especially among young people. If Le Pen is indeed forbidden to run, Bardella seems to be the natural candidate to succeed him.
However, observers say that there is no guarantee that it would be able to convince as many voters as it is. In recent months, some voices inside the party have criticized his leadership as being too focused on his personal career.
The Pen group takes a financial blow
The national rally was sentenced to a fine of 2 million euros, of which he must certainly pay 1 million, while the other half would be required in the event of repeated offense. The party will also abandon another million euros which was confiscated during the investigation.
We do not know how confiscation and the fine will have an impact on the party chests. An audit of party accounts between 2013 and 2016 revealed that it was a deficit of 9.1 million euros by the end of 2016. However, the party always had a cash balance of 1.7 million euros and had lent 1 million euros in the presidential campaign of Le Pen 2017, while holding 87,000 euros in loans on Cotelec, its financing association.
At the time, the party was also liable to a Russian bank for 9.4 million euros, a loan contracted in 2014 for 6 million euros. However, the electoral successes of the National Rally during the legislative elections of last year provided general financial resources to the party. In France, the financing of the state of political parties is largely based on the results of the elections.
