EVEN BEFORE the sentence was pronounced, Marine Le Pen swept out of the courtroom, her handbag dangling from her arm. The French hard-right leader had heard enough, and had reason to fear the worst. On March 31st the Paris criminal court barred her from running for elected office for five years, and hence from making a bid for the presidency in 2027. The decision has sent a shock wave through her party, the National Rally (RN), and upends the race to succeed Emmanuel Macron as president. Ms Le Pen had led polls for the first round of the 2027 election.