Marine Le Pen's political future dominated French news cycles as the Paris tribunal found her guilty of misusing European Parliament funds. By morning, Le Pen had been sentenced to five years of immediate ineligibility and four years in prison (two years firm to be served with electronic monitoring), effectively barring her from the 2027 presidential election.
The verdict sent shockwaves through the French political landscape, with RN president Jordan Bardella calling it "an execution of French democracy" while launching a petition for "popular and peaceful mobilization." Meanwhile, former Prime Minister François Bayrou expressed being "troubled" by the judgment.
By evening, Le Pen appeared on TF1's news program to denounce the verdict as a "political decision" that violates "the rule of law," vowing to appeal and declaring she "will not withdraw in any way from political life." A BFMTV poll later showed 57% of French citizens considered the verdict justified.