The French court's ruling was a catastrophic setback for Le Pen, the National Rally (RN) party chief who has been a front-runner in opinion polls for the 2027 contest. The judge also gave Le Pen a four-year prison sentence - two years of which are suspended sentence and two which will be served under home detention. There was no immediate comment from Le Pen on the ruling. Judge Benedicte de Perthuis said Le Pen had been "at the heart" of the scheme. "In Paris they have condemned Marine Le Pen and would like to exclude her from political life."

Source: bd News24 March 31, 2025 12:24 UTC