WORLD NEWS – Marine Le Pen barred from running for public office for five years

Laila Kirkpatrick, Staff Writer

The leader of the far-right French party Marine Le Pen has officially been sentenced to a five-year ban from running for public office. Le Pen was sentenced for embezzling EU funds. The ruling was made on Monday and took effect immediately and will likely bar her from running in France’s next presidential election. 

Le Pen has come in second to the current French president Emmanuel Macron in her last two attempts. Macron has become increasingly popular with the French in recent years and the verdict regarding Le Pen’s eligibility for the next presidential election will weigh heavily on French political life and in Europe. This will also impact Le Pen’s political career and her potential future in the political force. Le Pen’s lawyer said that she would appeal this decision in an attempt to make Le Pen eligible for the 2027 French presidential race.