PARIS, March 31. /TASS/. Head of the National Rally’s parliamentary faction Marine Le Pen has branded the court decision banning her from running for office as politically motivated.
"This is a political decision," she told the TF1 TV channel. "This Monday became a black day for the French democracy," she added.
The politician asserted that she intends to fight to reverse the court decision banning her from running for office. "I intend to fight," she emphasized. "I won’t let them get rid of me this way," she added.
Le Pen noted that she believed that "the court of appeals will overturn the verdict."
Head of the National Rally’s parliamentary faction has refused to discuss the possibility of nominating another candidate from her political union for the 2027 presidential election. "I will strive for the court of appeals to let me run in the presidential election," she stressed.
The politician asserted that she will not ask French President Emmanuel Macron for clemency. "No and no, because the pardon concerns the final decision but the case is not at that stage," she told the TF1 TV channel, replying to a question on the matter.
Le Pen was sentenced to four years in prison and the immediate loss of her electoral rights for five years, according to the ruling of a Paris court in the parliamentary assistants case. Under the verdict, Le Pen will be required to wear an electronic bracelet for two of the four years. She has also been ordered to pay a €100,000 fine. Due to her immediate disqualification from holding office, Le Pen will be unable to run in the 2027 French presidential election.
Le Pen was found guilty of embezzling funds intended for hiring assistants in the European Parliament.
In addition, the court convicted eight legislators and 12 parliamentary assistants, estimating the total funds involved at €4 million. It noted, however, that the guilty did not outright steal the money for themselves but rather directed the funds toward the party’s needs.
The investigation into embezzlement began in 2014, when the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) demanded that Le Pen reimburse €339,000. The politician was accused of using European Parliament funds to pay the salaries of her office head, Catherine Grisez, and security guard Thierry Legier, while they were still employed by her party. According to the investigation, Le Pen allegedly orchestrated a financial scheme whereby EU funds were embezzled under the guise of paying non-existent assistants in the European Parliament.
The head of the National Rally’s parliamentary faction categorically rejected the charges during the trial. Le Pen stated that the prosecutor’s demands were an attempt to dismantle the party.