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French Court Upholds Le Pen Conviction but Shortens Office Ban, Restoring 2027 Eligibility
A French appeals court on Tuesday upheld Marine Le Pen's conviction for misusing European Parliament funds. The ruling shortened her public office ban and imposed a partially suspended prison sentence with electronic monitoring.
Jul 7, 6:44 AM·1m read8 sources
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A French appeals court on Tuesday upheld Marine Le Pen's conviction for misusing European Union funds. The court reduced her five-year ban on holding public office to a 45-month period, of which 30 months are suspended, leaving her eligible to stand in the April 2027 presidential election.
The court also sentenced Le Pen to a three-year prison term, with two years suspended and one year to be served under electronic monitoring via an ankle tag.
A sentencing judge will determine the specific conditions of the tag, including permitted hours outside the home. The conviction concerns charges that National Rally officials misused European Parliament funds allocated for parliamentary assistants by instead paying party staff in France. Judges in the 2025 trial found that Le Pen played a central role in the scheme.
Le Pen is scheduled to appear in a prime-time interview on TF1 at 8 p.m. local time. The court's action leaves open the question of whether she can stand as a candidate in 2027, a matter that will be debated within the National Rally, whose president is Jordan Bardella.
