On 31 March, the Paris Criminal Court made a notable ruling against Marine Le Pen, the co-founder and de facto leader of the far-right National Rally (RN) party. Le Pen has been prohibited from running in the 2027 presidential election due to her conviction for embezzlement. This decision is undoubtedly a pivotal moment for Le Pen and her party, as she had been leading in the polls for the upcoming election. However, Le Pen remains determined, having appealed the judgment on 1 April, and her case is currently awaiting review by the Paris Court of Appeal.
This ruling follows an order made on 6 December 2023, which found Le Pen charged with complicity in the misappropriation of public funds, alongside the other twenty-six members of the National Rally.
In a bold move, Le Pen sought an interim measure from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on 8 July, requesting the suspension of the court’s ruling. She expressed concern that this decision could harm her rights related to free elections, as outlined in Article 3 of Protocol No. 1.
However, on 10 July, the ECHR, in a unanimous decision by a panel of seven judges, decided not to grant her request. They concluded that there wasn’t enough evidence to demonstrate an imminent risk to her rights protected by the Convention.
