France’s Court of Appeal on Tuesday upheld Marine Le Pen’s conviction for misappropriating EU funds, but shortened her ban from running for public office, theoretically clearing the way for the far-right leader to run in the 2027 presidential election.
However, the court sentenced Le Pen to three years in prison, two of which were suspended, and one of whom was given an electronic ankle tag. This could make presidential campaigning politically and logistically difficult.
It is now up to Le Pen to decide whether she will run as France’s first far-right president in modern times. She is scheduled to give a prime-time television interview on TF1 at 8pm (6pm GMT), during which she may make an announcement about her political future.
Le Pen has previously said she is reluctant to campaign for president while in prison under electronic surveillance, saying it would hinder her campaign and damage her credibility. However, she has not yet revealed what she will do.
Le Pen smiled but said nothing as she left the courtroom. She then went to the headquarters of her party, the National Rally Against Immigration (RN), to discuss what to do next.
Le Pen was found guilty of embezzlement in March 2025 and was given a five-year ban, barring her from immediately holding public office and making a long-planned fourth bid for the Elysée Palace.
Tuesday’s appeal ruling disqualifies Le Pen from holding public office for 45 months, of which 30 months will be suspended, meaning Le Pen will be eligible to hold public office in April 2027, when voters go to the polls, as she has already completed her 15-month ban from public office since last year’s ruling.
Will Le Pen use electronic tags for election activities?
The decision is likely to spark intense debate within the RN, which has spent months preparing for two possible futures: one led by Ms. Le Pen and the other led by party leader Jordan Bardera.
The electronic tag was stipulated as part of the mitigation of her prison sentence, meaning she does not actually have to go to prison.
The sentencing judge will determine the conditions for Le Pen’s tagging, setting out when she can leave her home and when she must return at night. Restrictions on weekends are usually more severe.
Justice officials said the tag would likely complicate a national presidential campaign because she would have to go home every night, but it probably wouldn’t make it impossible. Le Pen may ask for the tag to be removed in a few months for good behavior reasons.
Opinion polls consistently show that both RNs are strong candidates in the presidential runoff. Some recent surveys even suggest that Bardera could outperform Le Pen in the first round.
Le Pen’s conviction stems from accusations that National Rally officials misused funds meant for assistants to members of the European Parliament and instead paid salaries to French party officials. In 2025, a judge found that Le Pen played a central role in the scheme, but Le Pen has consistently contested this finding.
The initial ruling sparked criticism from Le Pen’s allies in France and abroad, who accused the judiciary of interfering with democratic competition. Her opponents argued that elected officials must be held to the same legal standards as other citizens.
“What’s important for us, and we’ve been saying for years, is that they misappropriated and stole public funds, European taxpayers’ money,” European Parliament lawyer Patrick Maisonneuve told reporters. “We’ve been saying this for years, and now we’re seeing it for the second time, first in the lower courts and today in the Court of Appeals.”
