No one should celebrate if Le Pen is banned from politics

Marine Le Pen, the frontrunner for the 2027 French presidency, could be sent to prison and banned from office as early as next week. Prosecutors allege that Le Pen and more than 20 National Rally (RN) members misused 2.5 million euros (£2 million) in EU parliamentary funds between 2004 and 2016 by redirecting them to pay party staff rather than accredited parliamentary assistants in Brussels. There is no allegation that Le Pen embezzled the funds or used them for personal gain: this was a matter of internal staffing allocation, not misappropriation for personal benefit. But nonetheless, if the court decides against Le Pen, it could spell the end of her career: prosecutors seek a five-year prison term (three suspended), a 250,000 euro (£200,000) fine, and a five-year public office ban with ‘provisional execution’: a pre-appeal axe that could fell her 2027 bid, despite her lead in the polls.

Provisional execution is a procedural tool in French law that allows a sentence to be carried out immediately, even while appeals are ongoing.