President Donald Trump called French far-right leader Marine Le Pen’s embezzlement conviction a “very big deal.”
A French court found Le Pen guilty on Monday of misappropriating European Union funds to benefit her party and barred her from running in the 2027 presidential election despite her front-runner status in recent polls.
Why It Matters
The ruling represents a significant setback for Le Pen, 56, who leads the National Rally (RN) party and is one of Europe’s most prominent far-right political figures.
After Le Pen was barred from future elections, some analysts suggested she may use her conviction to her political advantage.
What To Know
When reacting to Le Pen’s conviction on Monday, Trump appeared to draw parallels between Le Pen’s legal entanglements and his own run-ins with the U.S. justice system, saying “that sounds very much like this country.”
REPORTER: Marine Le Pen got convicted in court and is now banned from running for office for 5 years. Do you have a comment?@POTUS: “That’s a big deal… a lot of people thought she wasn’t going to be convicted of anything… that sounds very much like this country.” pic.twitter.com/nnx5Fbvvv6
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 31, 2025
Le Pen was found guilty of misusing European Parliament funds between 2004 and 2016.
Her sentence includes a four-year prison term (two years suspended, two years under home detention with electronic monitoring), a 100,000-euro fine ($108,000) and a five-year ban from public office.
While she can appeal the conviction, with the prison sentence and fine suspended during appeals, the five-year ban from running for office remains in effect, removing her from the 2027 presidential race.
Some political analysts suggest Le Pen could benefit politically from this verdict, similar to how Trump capitalized on his legal challenges.
Arthur Goldhammer, senior affiliate at Harvard University’s Center for European Studies, previously told Newsweek that Le Pen’s party will likely “complain about the ‘weaponization’ of the justice system” in an effort to galvanize her supporters.
What People Are Saying
Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday: “That’s a very big deal… I know all about it, and a lot of people thought she wasn’t going to be convicted of anything. But she was banned from running for five years, and she’s the leading candidate. That sounds like this country, that sounds very much like this country.”
Jordan Bardella, National Rally president said: “Today, it is not only Marine Le Pen who was unjustly condemned: It was French democracy that was killed.”
Matteo Salvini, Italy’s deputy prime minister said: “People who are afraid of the judgment of the voters are often reassured by the judgment of the courts… We will not be intimidated, we will not stop.”
Goldhammer told Newsweek: “She would have been a front-runner for the presidency in 2027. Her removal leaves the field wide-open and will intensify the political jockeying, especially among politicians on the right wing of French politics.”
Fabien Roussel of the French Communist Party said: “Ms. Le Pen is a politician who demands firmness on the part of the judiciary! Respect the judicial system, then.”
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AFP/Getty Images
What Happens Next
Le Pen has indicated through her lawyer, Rodolphe Bosselut, that she will appeal the verdict, which Bosselut called “a blow to democracy.”
The appeals process could take years, during which her prison sentence and fine will be suspended, but the five-year ban from running for office remains in effect.
Update 3/31/25 8:27 p.m. ET: This story was updated with additional information and context.
