These french politicians got legal sentences

The following list focuses mainly on policy makers that got final legal sentences without the possibility of further appeal. The principles that apply for normal citizens are valid too for politicians : everybody is to be presumed innocent until a definitive judgment, and each delinquent that has paid for his crime, has the right to resocialisation.

Marine Le Pen Trial (condemnation in first instance in the “Procès RN”)

Madame Le Pen (*1968), leader of the party Rassemblement National (previous name: Front National), is still to be presumed innoncent, because there is no final judgment of her case.

On 31 march 2025 she was sentenced in first instance to 4 years in prison (of which 2 must be served – with an electronic ankle bracelet), and a fine of 100 000 EUR. Furthermore, the politician was sentenced to 5 years of ineligibility – with immediate execution (in french: exécution provisoire). 

Her sentence concerns defalcation of public funds (détournement de fonds publics) during the years 2004 to 2016. According to the judgment, the parliamentary assistants of the party’s EU Parliament deputees did in reality work for the party in France – which is a violation of the rules of the EU parliament.

As Marine Le Pen’s lawyer Rodolphe Bosselut announced to make an appeal of this decision, the penal and financial fines are suspended until a second process. But the appeal does not impact the ineligibility of 5 years with immediate execution.

The main critical aspect for Miss Le Pen at the moment is therefore the immediate execution of the ineligibility. The ineligibility itself is possible  according to article 131-26 ff of the french penal law. An immediate execution is possible according to art. 471 alinéa 4 of the penal process law (code de procedure pénale) and article 131-10 of the penal law.   

The second process in front of an appeal court does usually take place within 18 to 24 months. Given that the next presidential election in France will be in the spring of 2027, Mme Le Pen was likely to lose the possibility to run as candidate.

But, the appeal court has announced to allow her an earlier date in 2026.

Thus, there will be a decision of the appeal court in the summer of 2026. Should Marine Le Pen be declared innocent, she will be able to participate in the next presidential election.

On the evening of her first instance condemnation, Mme Le Pen, who is a trained lawyer, gave an interview to the french TV station TF1.

The politician claims her innoncence and calls the facts of the case an „administrative disagreement“ (désaccord administratif) with the EU Parliament. She informed that other french political parties have similar cases concerning their EU parliamentary assistants. Indeed, there is an investigation of the EU office against corruption concerning the LFI party leader Jean-Luc Melenchon.

And the current Prime Minister François Bayrou is even involved in a court case concerning the EU parliament assistants of his Modem party.

Miss Le Pen announced that she will undertake all legal efforts to be able to run as presidential candidate in the 2027 election. She said:

„In my opinion the rule of law was totally violated by this sentence. First, because it prohibits an efficient appeal, which is a right granted by the European Convention of Human Rights. Second, because it considers that the fact that you defend yourself justifies an immediate execution (of the ineligibility). (…) Several millions of french citizens are outraged. In France, the country of human rights, judges have installed methods that you think do only exist in authoritarian regimes. (…) Imagine that I will be acquitted by the appeal court, after a presidential election, in which I could not participate. What would be the legitimacy of the person that wins this election?“  (Marine Le Pen, TV interview with TF 1, march 2025)

According to an opinion survey by the french IFOP Institute from march 2025, Marine Le Pen would have the highest score in the first round of      the 2027 election, with 37%. She is followed by the former Prime ministers Edouard Philippe with 20 to 25%, and Gabriel Attal with 20%. Emmanuel Macron is not allowed to have a third consecutive mandate, according to art. 6 of the french constitution.

The sentence against Marine Le Pen in first instance does not necessarily lead to a confirmation in the appeal process. There are examples of politicians that got sentenced in first instance, but that were acquitted in the second instance. The former minister Roland Dumas can be named in this context. 

Nicolas Sarkozy Trial

Nicolas Sarkozy was the president of France from 2007 to 2012. In december 2024, the highest french court (Cour de Cassation) confirmed the sentence against Mister Sarkozy in the so-called „Bismuth Affair“: three years in prison, of which one is obligatory to be served with an electronical ankle bracelet, and three years of ineligibility.

The „Bismuth Affair“ concerns corruption between Sarkozy, one of his lawyers and a high court magistrate. According to the sentence, Sarkozy tried to influence a court case with the help of the magistrate.

Mister Sarkozy (*1955), who was defended by Patrice Spinosi, announced to call the European Court of Human Rights. But, this procedure does not impact the execution of the sentence.

Besides: According to article 729 of the french criminal procedure law, each delinquent that has reached the age of 70 years and who has a good reintegration profile, can benefit of a suspension of his sentence. By using this article, Mister Sarkozy reduced the duration of one year with an ankle bracelet to about three months (from 7 february to 14 may 2025).

Mister Sarkozy is involved in some other court procedures too:

The so-called « Bygmalion Affair » concerns illegal and excessive spending for the presidential campaign of 2012. The law authorised expenses of maximum 22,5 million EUR. Sarkozy, his party UMP and the communication agency Bygmalion are accused of having installed a system of fake invoices to stay beneath this threshold.

In february 2024 the former president was sentenced by an appeal court to one year in prison, of which six months must be served (with an electronical ankle bracelet). Sarkozy has called the highest french court (Cour de Cassation) in this affair, which will communicate its decision in 2025. 

Then there is the trial concerning suspected illegal financing of Sarkozy‘s presidential campaign of 2007 by Muammar Gadaffi (“Affaire Libyenne”). This process has started in january 2025. The next court date will be on 10 april 2025. The former chief of state denies the accusation.

François Fillon

Mister Fillon (*1954) served as prime minister of France from 2007 to 2012, under president Nicolas Sarkozy.

In 2017, the so-called « Penelopegate affair » concerning the employment status of his wife Pénélope Fillon as his parliamentary assistant became public. Its first mention was during the 2017 presidential election campaign, in which he ran as candidate.

In the first round of this election, Mister Fillon got 20,01%, behind Marine Le Pen with 21,30% and Emmanuel Macron with 24,01%. Some observers believe that the « Affaire Fillon » cost him the participation in the second round of the presidential election and potentially the mandate as french president.

In 2022, the appeal court sentenced Mister Fillon to four years in prison (one of which obligatory), a 375 000 EUR fine and ten years of ineligibility, for fictitious employment of Pénélope Fillon. In april 2024 the highest french court (Cour de Cassation) has confirmed the fictitious employment status.

A new trial has to determine the precise sentence for the high profile politician. The hearing will be on 29 april 2025. Mister Fillon has called as well the European Court of Human Rights to examine his court case.