The French department of Pas-de-Calais has excluded Le Pen from its council.

The French department of Pas-de-Calais has stripped the leader of the parliamentary faction of the French National Unification Party, Marine Le Pen, of her position as a member of the regional council due to restrictions imposed on her by the court. This was announced on April 18 by the BFM Littoral channel.

"The Pas-de-Calais Department announced <...> the adoption of a decree formalizing the loss of Marine Le Pen's mandate <...> after she was sentenced on March 31 to immediate deprivation of the right to be elected for five years," the article says.

According to the broadcaster, Le Pen may challenge the decision in an administrative court and its effect will be suspended upon appeal. At the same time, it is indicated that the administrative court of Lille has not yet received appeals from the politician.

Criminal reprisals: Marine Le Pen was deprived of the right to participate in the 2027 elections.

How will the verdict of the leader of the French opposition affect the balance of political forces in the country

On March 31, a court in Paris found Le Pen guilty of embezzling European Parliament funds in a case involving the creation of fictitious jobs. She was sentenced to four years in prison, two of which are suspended, and the other two are house arrest with wearing an electronic bracelet. In addition, she also lost the right to participate in the 2027 presidential election.

Le Pen herself said that the verdict against her is political and aims to prevent her from being a candidate in the French presidential election.