A French court on Monday banned far-right leader Marine Le Pen from running for office after her conviction over a fake jobs scheme, specifying that the sanction should come into force with immediate effect even if an appeal is lodged.

The ruling could mean that Le Pen will not be able to stand for president in 2027 elections.

She left the courtroom after her conviction and this sanction were announced, but before the judge announced rulings on a potential prison sentence and fine.

The court had earlier in the day found Le Pen guilty of misappropriating EU funds.

Le Pen, head of the far-right National Rally, is the front-runner in opinion polls ahead of the 2027 vote.

Prosecutors had asked that Le Pen face an immediate five-year ban from public office if found guilty, regardless of any appeal process, using a so-called "provisional execution" measure.

An automatic five-year ban would hammer Le Pen, 56, a three-time presidential contender who has said 2027 will be her final run for top office.

She would retain her parliamentary seat until the end of her mandate.

Le Pen has accused prosecutors of seeking her "political death," alleging a plot to keep the National Rally from power that echoes claims made by US President Donald Trump about his legal woes.

Le Pen, the National Rally and two dozen party figures were accused of diverting European parliament funds to pay France-based party staff.

The defendants said the money was used legitimately and the allegations define too narrowly what a parliamentary assistant does.

However judge Benedicte de Perthuis ruled: "It was established that all these people were actually working for the party, that their [European Union] lawmaker had not given them any tasks."

"The investigations also showed that these were not administrative errors ... but embezzlement within the framework of a system put in place to reduce the party's costs." (Reuters)