French Top Court Ruling Jeopardizes Far-Right Leader’s Presidential Aspirations

France’s constitutional court ruled over the weekend that elected officials can be barred from office immediately upon conviction for a crime, a decision that could have major implications for far-right leader Marine Le Pen ahead of a verdict in her embezzlement trial expected Monday, France 24 reported.

On Friday, the court rejected a constitutional challenge brought by Rachadi Saindou, a local official in the French overseas territory of Mayotte, who had been removed from office after his conviction for embezzling public funds.

Saindou disputed the legality of a “provisional execution” ban, which meant that he had to resign from his post immediately after being convicted instead of waiting for an appeals process to run its course, according to Politico.

His lawyers had claimed that such immediate bans violated democratic principles by depriving voters of their right to choose their representatives.

In its ruling, the court said the provisional enforcement of ineligibility did not infringe upon fundamental rights, affirming that convicted politicians must resign from office immediately, even while appeals are pending.

Legal analysts said that while the court limited its analysis to local politicians, the ruling could influence how judges handle cases involving national figures.

Le Pen and 24 co-defendants – as well as members of her National Rally party – are accused of misusing more than $3 million in European Parliament funds by employing parliamentary assistants for party work in France.

Prosecutors in Le Pen’s case have requested that she be barred from holding office for five years and that the sentence be immediately executable.

She has denied wrongdoing and described the case as politically motivated.

While the constitutional court’s decision does not directly determine the outcome of Le Pen’s trial, it may guide judges in applying immediate penalties, raising the political stakes of the ruling expected on Monday.

Such a ruling would not remove Le Pen from her current role in parliament but would prevent her from running in the 2027 presidential election, where she currently leads in early polling.