Le Pen's pro-institution line was paying off until France judges ended her presidential hopes

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen, member of parliament from the Rassemblement National (National Rally - RN) party, leaves the courthouse on the day of the verdict of her trial alongside 24 other defendants (party officials and employees, former lawmakers and parliamentary assistants) and the RN party itself, over accusations of misappropriation of European Union funds, in Paris, France, March 31, 2025. REUTERS/Abdul Saboor

PARIS (Reuters) - Far-right leader Marine Le Pen believed respect for France's cherished institutions would open her path to the presidency, betting it would endear her once-fringe party to mainstream French voters.

She launched the tactic after a resounding 2017 election loss to President Emmanuel Macron and it was working well until it unravelled on Monday, when a Paris court convicted her of embezzlement and barred her from running in the 2027 presidential vote that many believed she could win.