Le Pen Conviction Upheld but Election Path Remains Open

A French appeals court has upheld the conviction of far-right leader Marine Le Pen for misusing European Union funds but ruled that she could still be eligible to stand in France's 2027 presidential election.

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The court found that €2.8 million ($3.2 million) in public funds had been misappropriated and sentenced Le Pen to three years in prison. Two years of the sentence were suspended, while the remaining year is to be served under home detention with an electronic ankle monitor.

Judges also imposed a €100,000 ($114,000) fine and reduced the period during which she is barred from holding public office. The ban was set at 45 months, with 30 months suspended, leaving an effective disqualification of 15 months.

Appeals court reduces political ban

That timetable means Le Pen could be eligible to contest France's presidential election in 2027, although campaigning while subject to electronic monitoring would present significant practical and political challenges. The first round of voting is scheduled for April, with a runoff expected in May.

Le Pen had previously said she would not seek the presidency if required to wear an electronic monitoring device, arguing that a presidential candidate must be able to travel freely. She will also have the option of requesting a sentence reduction in January 2027.

Case stems from misuse of EU funds

The case relates to allegations that Le Pen and other members of her party improperly used European Parliament funds to pay party staff in France instead of parliamentary assistants assigned to EU work.

On Tuesday, the appeals court also convicted four other members of the National Rally who had served as Members of the European Parliament. Other defendants were found guilty of either complicity or benefiting from the misused funds.

Speaking during an official visit to Syria, Emmanuel Macron declined to comment directly on the ruling, saying it was healthy for democracy that the president did not comment on court decisions.

Earlier ruling sparked political backlash

Le Pen was initially convicted by a Paris court on March 31, 2025. That ruling imposed a five-year ban from public office, which took immediate effect before any appeal could be heard.

She rejected the verdict at the time, describing it as politically motivated and saying it was intended to prevent her from competing in the 2027 presidential election.

The decision prompted strong criticism from nationalist allies in France and abroad. Among those expressing support were Viktor Orbán, Elon Musk and Donald Trump, while the Kremlin also criticised the ruling.

Uncertainty over the far right's candidate

Le Pen has been the dominant figure on the French far right since taking over the party from her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, in 2011. She led efforts to broaden the party's appeal after years of controversy surrounding its founder.

She reached the second round of the French presidential election in both 2017 and 2022 but lost on each occasion to Macron. Under her leadership, National Rally has steadily increased its representation in both French and European elections, achieving its strongest parliamentary result in the 2024 snap legislative election.

The uncertainty over her legal case has also drawn attention to Jordan Bardella, who has served as National Rally's president since 2022. Widely viewed as Le Pen's political successor, Bardella has said he would stand as the party's presidential candidate if she were unable to do so.

Opinion polling has suggested both Le Pen and Bardella command stronger public support than any other leading French political figure. Le Pen has also publicly expressed confidence that Bardella could lead the party if circumstances required.

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Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 7 July 2026

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