Marine Le Pen, the prominent face of France’s far-right, has officially declared her intention to run for the presidency next year on behalf of her National Rally (RN) party. This announcement follows an appeals court decision that upheld her conviction for graft but significantly reduced her ban from holding public office.
The recent ruling modified her previous sentence, which had been handed down by a lower court last year. While she was initially given a five-year ban from public office and a four-year prison term—two suspended and one involving an electronic monitoring device—the appeals court has now shortened the ban on standing for election to 15 months and reduced her prison sentence to three years. This adjustment means that, in theory, she remains eligible to participate in the upcoming presidential race, albeit potentially while wearing an electronic ankle tag.
During a prime-time interview on the TF1 television channel, the 57-year-old politician stated that she plans to appeal the decision further to the Court of Cassation in Paris, asserting her innocence. She noted that because filing an appeal with the highest court suspends the effects of the ruling, she expects to campaign without the need for an electronic monitoring bracelet. Le Pen emphasized her desire to pursue all available legal avenues to defend her position.
This potential bid would mark her fourth attempt at the presidency, following previous campaigns in 2012, 2017, and 2022. The case centers on a fake jobs scandal dating back to her time as a member of the European Parliament between 2004 and 2017, during which she and approximately two dozen others were accused of misappropriating EU funds. Alongside some two dozen former far-right staffers, she was found guilty of misappropriating EU funds to pay alleged staffers for jobs that did not really exist. Prosecutors alleged that she professionalized a system of graft originally introduced by her father, the late Jean-Marie Le Pen. The politician and her party have consistently denied any wrongdoing, with fellow RN leader Jordan Bardella labeling the trials as politically motivated.
The verdict drew significant attention, with journalists queuing as early as 5 a.m. at the Palais de Justice in central Paris to witness the proceedings. While Le Pen holds a strong position in current opinion polls, she has also discussed a potential partnership with 30-year-old party head Jordan Bardella, who is viewed as a reliable alternative should she be unable to run. The Court of Cassation is expected to decide as early as next week whether it will hear Le Pen’s appeal.
In the long-awaited verdict, the appeals judge upheld her 2025 graft conviction, but lessened her sentence.
Per Tuesday's ruling, her ban on standing in an election has been shortened to 15 months, and her prison term reduced to three years — two suspended and one with an electronic monitor.
