French far-right politician Marine Le Pen has failed in her attempt to overturn her exclusion from elections.
The Conseil d’État, France’s top administrative court, rejected the National Rally parliamentary leader’s appeal. Judges said that the regulations in question could only be overturned by changing the law.
A court had convicted Le Pen of embezzling EU funds in early April. The most controversial part of the sentence is a five-year ban on running for elections, which took immediate effect, unlike a partially suspended prison sentence. She is appealing the conviction separately.
The next presidential election, in which Le Pen had intended to stand as a candidate, is scheduled for 2027. In light of the current political crisis in France, there is a possibility of a snap parliamentary election – from which she would also be banned.