On March 31, Jin10 reported that a Paris court found French far-right leader Marine Le Pen guilty of embezzlement and barred her from running for political office for five years, meaning she cannot participate in the 2027 presidential election. The court's president stated that Le Pen's actions constituted a serious and lasting attack on the rules of democratic life in Europe, particularly in France. Le Pen left the courtroom before the verdict was read. She is currently a member of the French Parliament and was convicted along with eight members of the European Parliament from her party and twelve assistants. They were accused of using European Parliament funds to pay the salaries of staff who were actually working for her party, the National Rally. Previous polls indicated that Le Pen was likely to replace Macron as the President of France, who will be unable to seek a third term.
