Marine Le Pen has criticised a court ruling that bans her from running for public office as a "political decision" and says she will appeal, reports the BBC.
The French far-right politician was found guilty on Monday of embezzling EU funds and she was barred from standing in an election for five years, with immediate effect.
The decision means that, unless she can get her sentence overturned before the 2027 presidential election, Le Pen will likely not be able to stand.
"I'm not going to let myself be eliminated like this," Le Pen told French TV station TF1. She will appeal against the verdict "as soon as possible" she said, with "whatever legal avenues I can".
Le Pen has been given a four-year prison sentence, of which two will be suspended. The other two can be spent with an electronic tag rather than in custody.
She has also been handed a €100,000 (£82,635) fine.
"Millions of French people are outraged," she said, claiming that judges have "implemented measures that are reserved for authoritarian regimes".
Le Pen added that she was "scandalised, indignant, but this indignation, this feeling of injustice, is an additional push to the fight that I fight for them [the voters]".
But the appeal process may take a long time.