politics
Appeals Court Reduces Marine Le Pen's Public Office Ban to 15 Months
A Paris appeals court upheld Marine Le Pen's conviction for misusing European Parliament funds but shortened her ban on running for public office. Le Pen said she will campaign for the 2027 French presidential election without an electronic tag while appealing to the Court of Cassation.
Jul 8, 2:52 AM·1m read1 source
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A Paris appeals court upheld the conviction of Marine Le Pen and 23 co-defendants for misusing European Parliament funds but reduced her ban on holding public office to 15 months. The court also lowered the overall sentence from five years to 45 months, with 30 months suspended.
Le Pen told TF1 television she will run for president in 2027 and will campaign without an electronic tag during her appeal. The remaining year of her sentence is to be served under electronic surveillance along with a €100,000 fine, though the tag cannot be applied until the Court of Cassation rules.
The convictions stem from an institutional complaint filed more than a decade ago. Prosecutors said the defendants used €4.3 million in European Parliament funds intended for parliamentary assistants to pay National Rally employees between 2004 and 2016.
Le Pen was first sentenced in March 2025 to house arrest and a four-year electoral ban. The appeals court upheld the conviction but shortened the period of ineligibility, which now expires around the time of the April 2027 presidential vote. Le Pen said she will appeal to the Court of Cassation and will use all available legal remedies to defend her innocence.
The judgment's effects are suspended during the appeal process.
