A French court has imposed a jail sentence on far-right leader Marine Le Pen and barred her from seeking public office after it found her guilty of embezzling European Union funds.

The Paris court ruled that Le Pen used more than 3 million euros ($3.3m) of European Parliament funds to pay members of her National Rally party.

In sentencing, the chief judge announced that the nationalist politician would not be allowed to run for office for five years, effective immediately. A four-year jail sentence was also imposed, to be served with an electronic tag, while RN was issued with a 2 million euros ($2.16 million) fine.

“The court took into consideration, in addition to the risk of reoffending, the major disturbance of public order if a person already convicted… was a candidate in the presidential election,” said presiding judge Benedicte de Perthuis.

The ruling threatens to push Le Pen out of the 2027 presidential race, in which she is currently the frontrunner, according to opinion polls.

The nationalist leader had accused prosecutors of seeking her “political death”. She is expected to appeal the ruling, setting the stage for a potentially lengthy legal battle.

She strode out of the court before the end of the sentencing and was driven away.

Fresh far-right face?

“If Marine Le Pen can’t run, that would change the landscape of the French far right and its prospects,” said Al Jazeera’s Natacha Butler from the Paris courtroom. “Most likely it would be Jordan Bardella to take her place, the current president of RN.

“But he is much younger and not the same kind of dominant force as Marine Le Pen,” she added. “He’s not the figure that so many in France know, and so some say he would likely find it tougher in the 2027 race.

“Others say a fresh face may be what’s needed.”

Guilty verdicts were also handed down against eight other members of RN who served as lawmakers in the European Parliament when the funds were diverted, as well as 12 parliamentary assistants.

Reaction from nationalists in support of the RN leader was swift.

Bardella said that French democracy had been “executed” with the “unjust” verdict.

Le Pen’s radical right rival Eric Zemmour slammed the sentence and insisted that the RN leader has the right to present herself to the electorate.

The Kremlin also criticised the decision, despite Moscow’s common demand that other countries should not interfere in its own internal affairs.

“More and more European capitals are going down the path of violating democratic norms,” spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who fashions himself as a leader of “patriotic” EU states offered Le Pen support, posting: “Je suis Marine!” on X.