PARIS — A French appeal court has upheld Marine Le Pen’s conviction for embezzling European Parliament funds but reduced her ban on public office, clearing the way for her to stand in the 2027 presidential election. The National Rally figurehead was found guilty of diverting €2.8 million (£2.4m) in funds meant for hiring parliamentary assistants over an 11-year period across three parliamentary terms. The court imposed a €100,000 (£74,700) fine and a three-year prison sentence, with two years suspended and one year to be served with an electronic bracelet. Her ban on holding public office was reduced to 45 months, with 30 months suspended—meaning the effective 15-month ban, backdated to March 2025, will expire before the April 2027 election.

Le Pen left the courtroom without speaking to journalists. She is due to appear on French television on Monday evening. She has previously said she would not campaign for the presidency if required to wear an electronic tag, which would oblige her to seek authorisation for every campaign rally she holds. The verdict means she is legally free to run but faces a practical constraint that, in her own words, makes a national campaign impossible. The court also ordered Le Pen and her 10 co-defendants to pay nearly €2 million in damages to the European Parliament, plus €150,000 in moral damages and legal fees.

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What the Court Ruled

Presiding Judge Michèle Agi said the facts were serious, noting they took place over 11 years despite warnings from the European Parliament. “These actions discredited European institutions,” she said, adding they also created an unequal playing field with other political parties.

The original sentence in March 2025 imposed a five-year ban on public office, effective immediately. The appeal court reduced that to 45 months, with 30 months suspended. The effective 15-month ban, beginning from March 2025, will expire in June 2026—well before the presidential election scheduled for April 2027.

The one-year electronic tag requirement is a separate constraint from the ban on office. It does not legally prevent Le Pen from running, but she has previously described it as incompatible with a national campaign.

According to Paris Court of Appeal verdict and sentencing details for Marine Le Pen and co-defendants, the total damages owed to the European Parliament by all defendants amount to approximately €2 million, plus €150,000 in moral damages and legal fees. Individual fines were also imposed on all defendants.

As our analysis of the original March 2025 verdict and its political implications for the National Rally documented, the case has been a defining political issue in France for more than a year. The appeal verdict will now shape the presidential race whether Le Pen runs or not.

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The Political Reaction

National Rally President Jordan Bardella, who would be the party’s likely candidate if Le Pen does not run, wrote on X that “nothing can justify Marine Le Pen being excluded from the choice of the French people and prevented from presenting herself before them.”

Bardella described the moment as “an important day, an extraordinary one,” and said his loyalty to Le Pen was “total” and “will never depend on circumstances.” He added: “I do not forget the battles that we promised each other to fight together.”

Outside the Palais de Justice courthouse, the BBC spoke to members of the public queuing to witness the verdict. Amélina, a 21-year-old law student, said she was there to see justice done. “In France justice is blind and if you break the law there are consequences,” she said. She added she was not a supporter of Le Pen or her party.

Alexandre Mahoudeaux, a 19-year-old political science student and passionate Le Pen supporter, told the BBC that “in France the justice system is politicised” and that he believed Le Pen was being treated more harshly than politicians from traditional parties facing similar charges.

The BBC’s Europe editor Katya Adler, reporting from the courtroom, said there was “real confusion” as those present tried to calculate what the verdict meant for the presidential race. Le Pen could legally run, but had previously ruled out doing so under the constraints of a tag.

According to Jordan Bardella’s statement on X and BBC interviews with members of the public outside the Paris courthouse, the verdict has divided opinion sharply, with the same court decision being interpreted as both justice being served and a politicised attack on the opposition.

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The European Dimension

France is the European Union’s second-largest economy and a nuclear power with a significant military. The prospect of a Eurosceptic, traditionally Nato-sceptic president has been a source of deep anxiety in Brussels.

Le Pen has twice been defeated by Emmanuel Macron in presidential run-offs, but Macron cannot run again in 2027. Both Le Pen and Bardella currently lead opinion polls for the election, which is now nine months away.

The ruling is expected to be cited by populist parties across Europe—including Germany’s Alternative for Germany (AfD)—as evidence that establishments use the justice system to suppress political opposition. The argument does not require the ruling to be unfair. It requires the ruling to be usable. The guilty verdict for embezzlement of public funds, combined with the electronic tag, provides material for a narrative of persecution that can be deployed regardless of the legal merits of the case.

Some European officials believe Bardella could prove a more pragmatic figure than Le Pen if he reaches the Élysée Palace, though others worry his relative inexperience could also prove a liability over the course of a long campaign.

As our coverage of the 2027 French presidential election and the rise of the National Rally has tracked, the uncertainty created by Monday’s verdict will dominate French politics for the immediate future.

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What Happens Next

Le Pen will appear on French television on Monday evening, where she is expected to clarify whether she intends to run. She has 10 days to appeal the verdict to the Court of Cassation, France’s highest court. Prosecutors also have the right to appeal.

The 12 defendants who appealed their original convictions—including Louis Aliot, the National Rally vice-president and mayor of Perpignan, and other senior party figures—also learned their fates. Aliot and Nicolas Bay, a former party secretary general, were given six-month terms with electronic tags. Bruno Gollnisch, another former National Front figure, received a one-year term with a tag. Catherine Griset, a former close aide to Le Pen, was barred from public office for two years.

If Le Pen decides not to run, Bardella will become the National Rally’s presidential candidate. If she decides to run despite the tag, she will campaign under conditions that have no precedent in modern democratic politics.

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FAQ

Can Marine Le Pen run for president?

Yes. The appeal court reduced her ban on public office to an effective 15 months, backdated to March 2025. It expires in June 2026, before the April 2027 election.

What is the electronic tag for?

The court imposed a three-year prison sentence, with two years suspended and one year to be served with an electronic bracelet. Le Pen has previously said the tag would make a national campaign impossible because she would need authorisation for every rally.

What was Le Pen convicted of?

She was found guilty of embezzling European Parliament funds, along with other party officials. The court said €2.8 million intended for hiring parliamentary assistants was misused over an 11-year period across three parliamentary terms.

Who would run if Le Pen does not?

National Rally President Jordan Bardella, 30, is her designated successor and the party’s likely candidate. He has expressed “total” loyalty to Le Pen and is currently polling strongly.

Can the verdict be appealed further?

Yes. Both Le Pen and the prosecution have 10 days to appeal to the Court of Cassation, France’s highest court. An appeal would take months.