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.

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen leaves the National Rally headquarters after a French court convicted Marine Le Pen of embezzlement and barred her from seeking public office for five years, Monday, March 31, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Thomas Padilla)

In a ruling that will shake both French and European politics, the Paris court ruled that Marine Le Pen is ineligible to run for any political office with immediate effect -- meaning she most likely is out of the presidential race that is scheduled to take place in the spring of 2027 at the latest.