Does 'politically dead' Marine Le Pen still have a path to power?

Marine Le Pen still has a seat in the National Assembly but once that mandate ends, in July 2027 at latest, her political ambitions appear limited following a court decision to bar her from running for office. © Michel Euler / AP

Marine Le Pen says a French court's decision banning her from the 2027 presidential race amounts to "political death". The far-right leader was convicted of embezzling EU funds – a blow not just to her, but to the National Rally party she's spent decades turning into an electable force. But is this really the end – or just the start of a new, more radical chapter for the far right?

Prosecutors "want my political death", Le Pen said last November during the nine-week trial over misuse of EU funds by her and 24 other party officials between 2006 and 2014.