Marine Le Pen’s Political Ban Upheld by European Court of Human Rights
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ruled against Marine Le Pen, the leader of France’s National Rally party, who sought to have her five-year ban on running for office suspended. The court has determined that Le Pen’s request did not establish the existence of an imminent risk of irreparable harm to her rights. The ruling maintains the current ban, which prevents her from participating in the 2027 French presidential election. The decision comes after a 2025 conviction of Le Pen for misusing public funds intended for assistants to the National Rally’s members of the European Parliament, which she has denied being guilty of. The ECHR’s press release cited the absence of evidence supporting her claim that there was an urgent risk to her rights.
This ruling has significant implications for the French political landscape. Le Pen, who ran for president in 2017 and 2022, lost both times in the runoff to President Emmanuel Macron. The National Rally is currently the third-largest party in the National Assembly. The court’s decision to uphold the ban adds pressure to the party, as they face ongoing investigations into potential campaign finance violations and fraud. The French police executed a raid on the party’s headquarters in Paris as part of these investigations. Jordan Bardella, the leader of the National Rally, criticized the raids, claiming they were an attempt to destabilize the party and drive it into financial ruin.
This situation is also taking global attention, as U.S. political figures, including former President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance, have publicly supported Le Pen. The French authorities have criticized this support as meddling in domestic affairs. Despite the ECHR’s rejection of her bid, the political and financial implications of the ruling continue to ripple through France and the international landscape.