France court upholds Marine Le Pen conviction but allows presidential run News
DXR, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
France court upholds Marine Le Pen conviction but allows presidential run

A French appeals court on Tuesday upheld politician Marine Le Pen’s conviction for embezzling EU funds but reduced her ban on holding elected office.

The Paris Court of Appeal sentenced Le Pen to two years of imprisonment, one year of “at home electronic monitoring,” and a €100,000 fine. The ruling also imposed a 45-month ban on holding public office, 30 of which were suspended. Because the initial ban was effective during her appeal, she has already served the remaining 15-month period of ineligibility.

Investigations into Le Pen began in 2016, and a trial was requested in 2023. The initial sentence invoked Article 432-15 of the French Penal Code and included two years of house arrest, a €100,000 fine, and a five-year ban on running for elected office. The court’s decision on Tuesday rolled back the initial election ban, allowing her a shot at France’s 2027 presidential election.

Le Pen will still be able to appeal the decision to the Court of Cassation if she files within the next 10 days, and she has stated her intention to do so. Le Pen also announced on Tuesday her intention to run for president, stating that she will campaign without an electronic monitoring bracelet.

While an election campaign is technically allowed while the court examines her appeal, Le Pen herself has previously said she will refuse to run for election while having to wear an ankle monitor. Polling has placed Le Pen and her National Rally party as front-runners for the 2027 election, and political newcomer Jordan Bardella has been pegged as Le Pen’s replacement in case she cannot run.

Le Pen is known for inflammatory anti-immigration rhetoric and promoting French nationalism, and she is a prominent voice for the French far-right. The conviction stems from her use of an estimated €2.8 million of EU funds to pay members of her party.

Twenty-seven others were also sentenced, and 11 of Le Pen’s co-defendants who filed appeals also had their convictions upheld.

The conditions of Le Pen’s house arrest, which could allow for travel, will be determined by a different judge on a later date.

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