French Appeal Court Reduces Marine Le Pen Office Ban to 15 Months

A French appeals court upheld a March 2025 conviction against Marine Le Pen for misuse of European parliamentary funds while reducing the length of both the office ban and prison sentence. The court imposed a 45-month ban on holding public office, with 30 months suspended, leaving an effective 15-month period of ineligibility that began with the lower-court verdict.

It also ordered a three-year prison term, with two years suspended and one year to be served under house arrest with an electronic ankle tag. The lower court had imposed a five-year immediate office ban and a four-year sentence with two years suspended.

The appeals court said it balanced the penalty against voters' freedom of choice.

Background of the case Le Pen and 23 other defendants, including former European Parliament members and staff, were accused of diverting €4.4 million in EU funds between 2004 and 2016 to pay National Rally party employees in France. A personal secretary and bodyguard were listed as parliamentary assistants.

The lower court found that Le Pen played a central role in the system. She denied any organized scheme and described the prosecution as a witch-hunt.

response and next steps Le Pen had stated she would not run for president if required to wear an electronic tag. On Tuesday she announced she would appeal to France's highest court, the court of cassation, which has indicated it would rule before the April election.

The appeal suspends the electronic-monitoring order until a final decision. Le Pen declared she is now a candidate for the presidency. Polls indicate that either Le Pen or her party's 30-year-old leader would win the first round on 18 April, while forecasts for a potential runoff remain divided.