French Court Upholds Conviction but Reduces Ban on Holding Office

A Paris appeals court upheld a conviction for misuse of European Parliament funds but shortened the sentence and backdated the office ban, clearing the path for a presidential run in April 2027. The court reduced the five-year ban on holding public office and ruled that the penalty had already been served.

It imposed a one-year term under house arrest with an electronic ankle tag instead of the original two-year requirement.

The conviction stems from a scheme that diverted European Parliament funds between 2004 and 2016 to pay party staff. The court found the practice continued after the original scheme began under a previous party leader. All but one of the 11 defendants attended the hearing. The absent defendant later described the verdict as a farce and a political manoeuvre.

Political opponents condemned the ruling.

A Greens leader stated the outcome showed considerable leniency rather than a judicial conspiracy. The convicted leader is scheduled to appear on national television at 20:00 local time to announce whether the candidacy will proceed or be handed to a 30-year-old party president.

“When you're a presidential candidate you need to have total freedom of movement… I can't rely on a judge to allow me to hold a campaign rally or go to a market.”

Dozens of journalists and members of the public queued outside the court from early Tuesday morning. After the verdict, the convicted leader travelled to party headquarters in western Paris for discussions with senior party figures. The sentence includes two years suspended and one year with the electronic tag.