Le Pen Still Convicted, but can Run in 2027

Le Pen to respond to court ruling in televised primetime appearance

The Paris Court of Appeal has effectively cleared the way for Marine Le Pen to run for the 2027 French presidential election, but with an electronic bracelet, which she has said is a no-go.

Le Pen is expected to respond to the ruling in televised primetime address at 8pm Paris time.

French court shortens Le Pen’s ban from office but orders electronic tag

The Paris Court of Appeal has upheld Marine Le Pen’s conviction for misusing EU funds ​but shortened ‌her ban ⁠on running for elected office, ‌potentially re-opening a path for the ⁠far-right leader to run in the 2027

presidential ​race.

However, the court ‌ruled that Le Pen will serve a three-year jail term. Although ‌the court said two ​years were suspended, it ordered her to wear an electronic ankle ​tag for one ​year, making a presidential ​campaign politically and logistically difficult.

The ​ruling casts fresh doubt on whether she will seek France’s highest office next ⁠year.

French MEP Le Rachinel sentenced to two-year suspended prison term and a €15,000 fine

The Court has upheld the judgment against former MEP Fernand Le Rachinel regarding the misappropriation of public funds. The Court of Appeal sentenced him to a two-year suspended prison term and a €15,000 fine. It overturned the ruling regarding the one-year period of ineligibility for public office.

Facts of Le Pen-National Rally case ‘serious’: court president

The facts in the Marine Le Pen-National Rally case are “serious” and involve more than €2 million, says Paris Court of Appeal President Michèle Agi.

Court is in session

The court proceedings have begun with the lead judge, Paris Court of Appeal President Michèle Agi, reading out the verdict. It is expected to be a lengthy ruling.

A verdict that could reshape France’s upcoming presidential election

For those of you just joining us, France’s far-right figurehead Marine Le Pen has arrived at the Paris Court of Appeal to hear a verdict that could reshape France’s upcoming presidential election in 2027.

The verdict could determine whether Le Pen is eligible to make her fourth bid for the presidency.

France’s far-right figurehead has appealed a March 2025 court ruling, which barred her from running from office for five years after she was convicted of embezzling European parliamentary funds to pay her party’s employees.

Here’s a lookback at the “fake jobs scam” trial

On March 31, 2025, the Paris Correctional Court ruled that Le Pen had been “at the heart” of a scheme to misappropriate ​more than €4 million ($4.56 million) of European parliamentary funds to pay her own political party employees. This is against EU rules, which stipulate that those funds can only be used by European parliamentary staff working in Brussels.

Here are some of the 2025 sentencing details:

• Le Pen was given a four-year prison sentence, including two years suspended with the other two to be served at home with an electronic bracelet
• A five-year ban on running for public office
• Le Pen was slapped with a €100,000 fine
• Her party was also fined €2 million ($2.16 million), half of which was suspended. s

In addition to Le Pen, eight other former EU lawmakers and 12 parliamentary assistants were convicted over the misuse of funds.

Marine Le Pen arrives at Paris courthouse for ruling on her 2027 presidential hopes

Marine Le Pen arrives at the Paris Court of Appeal on July 7, 2026. (Photo: Kenzo Tribouillard, AFP)

National Rally officials offer support for Le Pen

As France awaits the Paris Court of Appeal verdict that will determine Marine Le Pen’s presidential future, National Rally officials, such as Laure Lavalette, a high-profile RN politician and close Le Pen ally, are taking to social media to support the far-right figurehead.

A verdict with political implications for France and beyond

Marine Le Pen is one of the most prominent figures of the European far right and the Paris Court of Appeal ruling will be monitored in European capitals and beyond.

Following the initial March 2025 court ruling, which slapped a five-year ban from running for public office on Le Pen, US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance were quick to condemn the verdict, which found her guilty of embezzlement.

Trump, who often labelled his own legal woes as a leftist witch-hunt, drew parallels with Le Pen. “The Witch Hunt against Marine Le Pen is another example of European Leftists using Lawfare to silence Free Speech, and censor their Political Opponent,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform last year. “It is the same ‘playbook’ that was used against me.”

Vance, who has accused European nations of democratic abuses by seeking to block far-right parties from office, also weighed in to support Le Pen.

European right-wing leaders, who share the RN’s eurosceptic and anti-immigration positions, have also been keen to project a united front in the European parliament.

The RN is currently the largest party in both, the EU parliament and the French National Assembly.

Le Pen protégé Jordan Bardella waiting in the wings

National Rally (RN) supporters have slammed the fake jobs verdict barring Marine Le Pen from running for office for five years as a political witch-hunt. But many now accept that her 30-year-old protégé Jordan Bardella will be the far-right party’s candidate in the 2027 French presidential race. 

Bardella, who took over as party president in 2022, has even at times polled slightly ahead of Le Pen. If the polls are accurate, and he wins the election next year, Bardella would be France’s youngest leader since Napoleon Bonaparte.

In recent weeks he has appeared eager to replace Le Pen, who has been the party’s presidential candidate in the past three presidential elections.

In early May, Bardella spoke to the German press about the contentious issue of pensions, stating that the RN was “currently examining the question” of raising the statutory retirement age – a move that has confounded his party.

Le Pen has made a point of pledging to roll back President Emmanuel Macron’s controversial pension reforms and keep the country’s legal retirement age at 62, or even 60, with 40 to 42 years of contributions to the system.

In a bid to bolster his international stature, Bardella also travelled to Poland in mid-June, where he met several far-right allies. It was a choice of destination that once again set him apart from Le Pen, whose close ties with Russia – she notably received a loan from a Russian bank for her 2017 presidential campaign – are regularly criticised by her opponents. 

Jordan Bardella addresses a press conference in Paris on January 12, 2026. (Photo: Christophe Ena, AP)

Press Review: French media run Le Pen trial banner headlines, but has her party moved on?

French newspapers have run banner headlines on the upcoming Paris appeal court verdict and its political implications for Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally party, says FRANCE 24’s “Press Review” presenter Antonia Kerrigan.

But many headlines note that the party has already moved on, with Jordan Bardella prepped and primed to be the party’s candidate for the 2027 French presidential race.

French 2027 presidential race hinges on Le Pen appeal verdict

Reporting from the Paris Court of Appeal, FRANCE 24’s Catherine Norris Trent explains that a French court’s initial fraud case verdict, delivered in March 2025, slapping Marine Le Pen with a five-year ban on running for office generated “a lot of debate”.

Her supporters slammed what they called “a political verdict designed to keep Marine Le Pen and her party from power”, Norris Trent explains.

Journalists ‘camping’ outside Paris court to cover crunch verdict

Teams of journalists have been “camping out” in front of the Paris Court of Appeal to cover a crunch verdict that has political implications for the 2027 French presidential race.

French daily “La Voix du Nord” Paris bureau chief Julien Lécuyer says some arrived at 5am this morning to collect their press accreditations and secure access.

A crunch day in French politics: What to expect, when

Marine Le Pen’s hearing at the Paris Court of Appeal is set to start at 1.30pm Paris time.

The ruling process is expected to last several hours, according to experts. In addition to Marine Le Pen, there are 11 other plaintiffs in the appeals case, including her political party, the National Rally (RN). The ruling on each plaintiff is likely to be read out in court.

Following the ruling, Le Pen is likely to make a statement at primetime, around 8pm Paris time.

Expect plenty of reactions following the verdict, particularly a response by Le Pen’s protégé Jordan Bardella.

‘When you’re guilty, you have to pay,’ Socialist party chief says

France’s Socialist party leader Olivier Faure has reaffirmed that justice applies to all and that no one is above the law.

In an interview with a French TV station this morning, Faure said it was “time to show that when justice is served, the far right complies. When you’re guilty, you have to pay,” Faure added.