Paris Court Lifts Most of Le Pen Office Ban After Embezzlement Appeal

A Paris appeals court today upheld Marine Le Pen's embezzlement conviction but suspended three-quarters of the five-year ban on seeking public office that had been imposed last year. The ruling leaves Le Pen free to run for president in 2027. The court reduced her custodial sentence to three years, two suspended, and cut the electoral ban to 45 months, 30 of them suspended.

Background of the case Le Pen was convicted in March 2025 of embezzlement.

The original sentence included a suspended prison term and the five-year office ban. Prosecutors had sought to make the ban effective immediately rather than after appeals.

response Le Pen said she will campaign without an electronic monitoring bracelet while pursuing a further appeal. She stated she will make her fourth presidential bid in 2027. Her party, National Rally, is currently the most popular party in France according to recent surveys.