French populist Le Pen said “nothing” will stop her as she faces a trial that could bar her from running in the next presidential election.
French populist Marine Le Pen declared that “nothing” will stop her running for the presidency as a trial over alleged misuse of EU funds threatens to bar the National Rally leader from the next election.
On Monday, Le Pen joined 26 other current and former members of the National Rally (RN), including her father and party co-founder Jean-Marie Le Pen, over allegations of embezzlement of European Union funds.
The charges, dating back to 2018, allege that the younger Le Pen and other members of her party fabricated employees in the European Parliament and diverted their salaries back to France to finance domestic political activities.
The National Rally leader faces up to ten years in prison if convicted. She would also be deprived of civic rights for up to five years, meaning that Le Pen could potentially be disqualified from running for president in 2027, likely ending her long-time quest for the top job in Paris.
The three-time former presidential candidate is widely forecast as the frontrunner to replace President Macron in the Élysée Palace in 2027 when the arch globalist will be term-limited out of the running.
