Marine Le Pen, the 57-year-old leader of the French far-right National Rally (RN) party, has confirmed she will run for the presidency in 2027. This announcement follows a recent ruling by a French court of appeal that upheld her conviction for orchestrating a large-scale fake-jobs scheme. The court found that Le Pen played a central role in embezzling more than €2.8m in European parliament funds, which were then funneled into her party in Paris between 2004 and 2016.
While the court reduced the initial ban on Le Pen holding public office—allowing her to participate in the upcoming spring election—it also imposed a three-year jail sentence, with two years suspended. For the remaining year, she was ordered to wear an electronic ankle tag to monitor her movements and restrict her ability to leave her home. Le Pen had previously stated she would not run for president if her movements were restricted, as the system would prevent her from attending evening rallies.
However, Le Pen told TF1 television on Tuesday that she will appeal the conviction to France’s highest court, the court of cassation. She explained that this legal move suspends the effects of the judgment, meaning she will not have to wear the electronic tag while campaigning. She stated, “I consider us innocent of the things we are accused of,” and added that the appeal allows voters to have “the last word” in the presidential election scheduled for April and May.
Legal experts note that a decision from the court of cassation typically takes between one year and 18 months, though it remains unclear if a ruling could be expedited. Beyond the ankle tag, the appeal court confirmed a fine of €100,000 against Le Pen and reduced her political ban to 15 months, a duration she has already served. The court noted that its decision balanced her guilt with the need to respect “the voter’s freedom of choice.”
State prosecutors had previously characterized the embezzlement scheme as a “centralised” and “industrial” operation that violated European parliament rules. They alleged that taxpayer money intended for assistants in Strasbourg or Brussels was diverted to pay party workers in France who performed no relevant parliamentary duties. The system was allegedly documented through extensive email exchanges and internal party papers.
The announcement drew sharp criticism from political rivals. Manon Aubry of the La France Insoumise party labeled the RN a “party of thieves and liars,” while Socialist leader Olivier Faure suggested that Le Pen should refrain from running, arguing that candidates should be “exemplary.” Le Pen, who previously lost to Emmanuel Macron in 2017 and 2022, remains a significant political figure despite these legal challenges.
Under France’s house arrest system, a magistrate can approve times at which someone with an ankle tag can leave their home, and has to pre-approve outings nationwide. Le Pen had said that wearing a tag would make it impossible for her to go out at night and attend rallies.
