Marine Le Pen was found guilty on appeal in the case concerning the misuse of European Parliament funds, but the Court of Appeal’s ruling formally leaves the door open for her candidacy in the 2027 French presidential election. The leader of the far-right National Rally, Rassemblement National, was convicted of diverting more than €4 million, intended for European parliamentary assistants, to internal party needs. She denies any wrongdoing.
The court upheld her conviction but reduced the penalty barring her from public office. Instead of a five-year ban on holding or running for public office, it imposed a 45-month ban, 30 months of which were suspended. Since the enforceable 15-month period is counted from 31 March 2025, the date of the first-instance ruling, it is considered to have already elapsed, allowing her legally to stand as a candidate.
If she ultimately does not run, her place is expected to be taken by 30-year-old MEP and party president Jordan Bardella.
At the same time, her prison sentence was reduced from four years to three, with two years suspended. The remaining year will be served under electronic monitoring rather than in prison. This creates a serious political and practical obstacle, as Le Pen has said she would not conduct a presidential campaign under electronic surveillance, due to restrictions on her movements and the impact on her image as a candidate.
The ruling therefore does not automatically exclude her from the race to succeed Emmanuel Macron, but shifts the dilemma to Le Pen herself and to her party, at a time when the RN is leading in opinion polls. If she ultimately withdraws, the most likely National Rally candidate is considered to be 30-year-old MEP and party president Jordan Bardella, who is seen as her successor and has already been placed on standby by the RN for 2027.
Sources: ΒBC, Reuters
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