A criminal court in Paris ruled that Marine Le Pen had played a “central role” in a scheme to siphon funds from the European Parliament to finance her far-right National Rally party. Ms. Le Pen has been barred from public office for five years.

French right-wing leader Marine Le Pen is awaiting a sentence after a national court convicted her and other members of her National Rally party of embezzlement on Monday.

Marine Le Pen said “the establishment has dropped a nuclear bomb” in an address to fellow National Rally MPs after a court ruling barred her from standing for public office ahead of the French presidential elections.