The French far-right leader Marine Le Pen has been found guilty of embezzling EU funds and barred from standing in an election for five years, with immediate effect. The court’s verdict is a catastrophic setback for Le Pen which is likely to end her ambition to run for President in 2027.

Le Pen was also given a four-year prison sentence, of which two will be suspended. The other two can be spent with an electronic tag in home detention rather than in custody. She has also been handed a 100,000 euro fine.

The judge said Le Pen had been at the “heart of a system” which saw the embezzlement of €2.9m worth of European funds. Two dozen members of her party were also found guilty and the party was ordered to pay a €2m fine, with half the amount suspended.

Le Pen went on national television to claim the court’s verdict was “political”. “I’m not going to let myself be eliminated like this,” Le Pen told French TV station TF1. She will appeal against the verdict “as soon as possible” she said, with “whatever legal avenues I can.” “Millions of French people are outraged” she said, claiming that judges have “implemented measures that are reserved for authoritarian regimes.”

Shortly before her sentencing, Le Pen received messages of support from the Kremlin, as well as European allies such as Hungary’s Viktor Orban and Italy’s Matteo Salvini.

But some of Le Pen’s political opponents have also said they disapproved of the judge’s decision. Centrist Prime Minister François Bayrou was reported to be “troubled” by the ruling while Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the leader of the far-left France Unbowed said:
“The choice to dismiss an elected official should only belong to the people.”

Jane Hill presents BBC News at Ten reporting by Europe editor Katya Adler.
Subscribe here: http://bit.ly/1rbfUog

For more news, analysis and features visit: www.bbc.com/news

#BBCNews

source