Marine Le Pen Cleared to Seek 2027 French Presidency, But Electronic Bracelet Could Halt Campaign

Paris appeals court upholds conviction but reduces political ban, reopening a path for France’s leading right-wing figure.

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief

(Worthy News) – A Paris appeals court on Tuesday cleared a path for Marine Le Pen to potentially run in France’s 2027 presidential election, while upholding her conviction for misusing European Parliament funds and requiring her to serve one year under electronic monitoring.

The ruling reduced Le Pen’s previous five-year ban from elected office to 45 months, with two-thirds suspended, effectively narrowing the active ban to 15 months. The court also cut her prison sentence from four years to three, with two years suspended.

Le Pen, 57, has denied wrongdoing and has said she would not campaign for president if required to wear an electronic bracelet, arguing that such a condition would make a national campaign impossible. She left the courthouse without speaking to reporters.

The case centered on allegations that Le Pen and members of her National Rally party used European Parliament funds meant for parliamentary assistants to pay party staff between 2004 and 2016. Judges found that millions of euros were improperly diverted from their intended purpose.

The decision immediately reshapes France’s political landscape. President Emmanuel Macron is term-limited, and Le Pen remains one of the country’s most prominent right-wing leaders. If she decides not to run under the court’s restrictions, National Rally president Jordan Bardella, 30, is widely expected to become the party’s candidate.

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