Appeals Court Upholds Le Pen Conviction but Shortens Office Ban, Allowing 2027 Run

Marine Le Pen announced Tuesday night that she will run for president in 2027 and will appeal her conviction to France’s court of cassation. A French court of appeal upheld Le Pen’s conviction earlier that day for embezzlement of more than €2.8 million in European parliament funds between 2004 and 2016.

The court sentenced the 57-year-old National Rally leader to a three-year jail term, with two years suspended and one year to be served under electronic monitoring.

It also shortened her ban on running for elected office to 15 months already served, suspended the remaining 30 months, and imposed a €100,000 fine. Le Pen told TF1 television that the cassation appeal suspends the effects of the judgment. “The appeal to the court of cassation suspends the effects of the judgment, so I will campaign without an electronic ankle bracelet,” she said.

The court of cassation typically takes between one year and 18 months to rule on an appeal. Le Pen had previously indicated she would not run if her movements were restricted by an ankle tag. ” Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure said any political candidate should be “exemplary” and that Le Pen should not run.

Le Pen lost presidential run-offs to Emmanuel Macron in 2017 and 2022, when she received more than 41 percent of the vote. The French constitution bars any president from seeking a third consecutive term.