The far-right French politician was a leading candidate to become the country’s next president, but has now been barred from running for public office for five years.

PARIS (AP) — For years, Marine Le Pen stood at the gates of power — poised, relentless and rising. She stripped the French far right of its old symbols, sanded down its roughest edges and built in its place a sleek, disciplined machine with the single goal of winning the country’s presidency.

It’s my political death they want,” far-right leader Marine Le Pen claimed in November – a prediction that proved prescient, though few took it seriously at the time.

It’s my political death they want,” far-right leader Marine Le Pen claimed in November – a prediction that proved prescient, though few took it seriously at the time.

The Paris appeals court said on Tuesday it had received three appeals for a court decision against the far-right National Rally party that saw its leader Marine Le Pen banned from running for public office for five years.

Speaking to the World At One's Sarah Montague, Bruno Gollnisch - a former MEP who was a co-defendant alongside Le Pen and was also found guilty - says the ruling goes "against all principles of law".

National Rally supporters say the court decision punishing France’s far-right leader for embezzlement will ultimately redound in her favor.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that French far-right leader Marine Le Pen's conviction and resulting prohibition from running in the 2027 presidential election was a "very big deal."

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen has been banned from running for political office for five years after being found guilty of embezzling European Union funds. Le Pen was also handed a four-year prison sentence with two years suspended,