‘Politicians have always been schemers’: upheld conviction fails to dent Le Pen’s popularity

Marine Le Pen has announced she will run for French president in 2027, despite a Paris appeals court upholding her conviction for embezzling over €4 million in EU funds. The court reduced her ban from public office to 45 months, with 30 suspended, and a three-year jail term, two suspended, with the third under house arrest with an electronic tag. Le Pen stated her appeal to France's highest court suspends the electronic tag requirement, allowing her to campaign. This decision launches the 2027 presidential election, though her candidacy faces risks, including the possibility of being forced to wear a tag if her appeal fails.

Far-right leader Marine Le Pen has launched her presidential campaign in western France, following a court ruling that allows her to run despite a confirmed embezzlement conviction. The appeals court ordered her to wear an electronic ankle tag, but a further appeal to France's highest court has put this order on hold. Le Pen, who is leading opinion polls for the upcoming election, aims to focus her campaign on national revival, sovereignty, justice, security, and education. Her campaign launch in La Fleche was met with mixed reactions, with some protesters jeering while supporters chanted her name. Le Pen expressed irritation when questioned about the legal matters, stating she would not spend her campaign analyzing them.

Marine Le Pen has announced her candidacy for the upcoming French presidential election, just hours after a Paris court of appeal upheld a guilty verdict against her for misuse of public funds. Her campaign, titled "La Renaissance" (The Rebirth), features a poster with the French flag and a smiling Le Pen, aiming to resonate with voters disillusioned by societal inequalities and traditional politics. Le Pen positions herself as a representative of "The People" and "Patriots" fighting against a "Metropolitan Elite" and "Globalists," including President Emmanuel Macron. Her campaign's subtitle, "Renaissance," is a direct challenge to Macron's political party of the same name.

Marine Le Pen has announced her candidacy for the 2027 French presidential election despite a recent appeal court upholding her conviction for embezzling European Parliament funds. This legal challenge has drawn comparisons to Donald Trump, with opponents suggesting she is using legal maneuvers to remain eligible. While an appeal to the highest court has temporarily suspended her sentence, including a potential electronic tag, uncertainty remains about her ability to campaign fully. Le Pen aims to focus on political issues, but the embezzlement case continues to overshadow her campaign launch, potentially impacting her ability to attract broader voter support beyond her core base.

Far-right leader Marine Le Pen has launched her presidential campaign for the 2027 election, following a court of appeal decision that shortened her ban on holding office. The court upheld her conviction for embezzlement related to a fake-jobs scam involving over €2.8 million in European parliament funds. While her ban was reduced, she received a one-year custodial sentence requiring an electronic ankle tag, which she stated would prevent her from running. Le Pen plans to appeal this sentence to France's highest court, the Court of Cassation, which will put the sentence on hold, allowing her to campaign without restrictions. Political opponents have criticized her candidacy, citing legal uncertainty, while Le Pen insists she is innocent and wants to focus on political issues.

A French appeals court upheld Marine Le Pen's embezzlement conviction on Tuesday, reducing her sentence and ban from elected office. Le Pen, a conservative former presidential candidate, was found guilty of misappropriating millions in EU funds to pay aides for domestic political work, a charge she denies. The court reduced her sentence to three years, with one year of house arrest and an ankle monitor, and shortened her ban from running for office to 45 months, making her eligible to run immediately. However, Le Pen stated that campaigning freely while under house arrest would be impossible, casting doubt on a potential 2027 presidential run. Le Pen and 11 associates were ordered to repay €2.8 million.

France's Court of Appeal is set to rule on a conviction against far-right leader Marine Le Pen regarding the alleged misuse of European Parliament funds. In March 2025, a Paris criminal court found Le Pen at the center of a system that diverted 2.9 million euros of EU funds between 2004 and 2016. The conviction barred her from office for five years and sentenced her to house arrest, and if upheld by the appeal court, it could prevent her from running in the 2027 presidential elections. The charges stem from accusations that she used funds intended for parliamentary assistants to pay party employees, a violation of EU regulations. Le Pen has stated that even if only the house arrest order is upheld, she may not be able to campaign freely and therefore might not stand.

Marine Le Pen, leader of France's far-right National Rally, awaits a Paris appeals court ruling on Tuesday regarding her ban from holding elected office. This decision will determine if she or her protégé, Jordan Bardella, will be the party's presidential candidate in the upcoming election. Le Pen was previously banned for five years and received a suspended prison sentence for embezzling European Parliament funds between 2004 and 2016. She denies wrongdoing, claiming her party acted in good faith. The court could acquit her, uphold the ban, or reduce it, potentially impacting her ability to campaign. The outcome is significant as the National Rally is currently leading in polls for the presidential race.

A French court of appeal has upheld Marine Le Pen's conviction for embezzling European Parliament funds, though it shortened her ban on running for elected office to 15 months. However, the court also imposed a three-year jail sentence, with two years suspended, and one year requiring an electronic ankle tag. This custodial sentence and monitoring could significantly complicate her ability to campaign for the 2027 presidential race. Le Pen, who heads the National Rally party, had previously indicated that restricted movement would make a free campaign impossible. The court found she played a central role in a scheme to embezzle funds between 2004 and 2016, leading to a €100,000 fine. Jordan Bardella, the party president, has been considered a potential replacement candidate.

Marine Le Pen, leader of the National Rally, has had her conviction for misusing EU funds upheld by the Paris appeal court, though her sentence has been reduced. The court backdated and shortened a ban on holding public office, deeming it served. However, Le Pen received a one-year sentence requiring an electronic ankle tag under house arrest. This ruling clears her path to run in the April 2027 French presidential election, a decision she has previously stated she would not make if required to wear a tag, citing a lack of "total freedom" for campaigning. Le Pen is expected to announce her decision on a national TV appearance tonight. She currently leads opinion polls for the election.

A Paris appeals court has ruled far-right leader Marine Le Pen guilty of misusing public funds, reducing her ban from holding public office to 45 months, with 30 suspended. This decision, made on Tuesday, potentially allows her to run in the 2027 presidential election, though she would need to wear an electronic monitoring tag as part of her sentence. Le Pen was initially banned from public office for five years by a lower court last year. She faces a decision on whether campaigning with a monitoring bracelet is feasible. Recent polls indicate Le Pen or her party's leader, Jordan Bardella, have a strong chance of winning the 2027 election. Le Pen is expected to announce her presidential candidacy decision soon.

Paris's appeals court is set to rule on Marine Le Pen's embezzlement case, a decision that could impact her 2027 presidential bid. Le Pen is appealing a March 2025 conviction for misusing European Parliament funds between 2004 and 2016, which resulted in a suspended prison sentence and a five-year ban from holding elected office. Possible outcomes include acquittal, a reduced ban that would expire before the election, or a severe sentence that would likely prevent her from running. If Le Pen is barred, her protégé Jordan Bardella could become the National Rally's presidential candidate. Le Pen has stated she would not run if effectively prevented from campaigning freely due to judicial restrictions.

Far-right leader Marine Le Pen is awaiting a verdict in her appeal against a conviction for misusing EU funds. Le Pen was found to have knowingly overseen a system where National Rally (RN) staff were paid from EU funds while posing as parliamentary assistants. The original trial resulted in a two-year suspended prison sentence and a five-year ban from public office, which was immediately effective. Le Pen's lawyers are seeking acquittal, while the state advocate has requested a one-year prison sentence with an electronic tag and a five-year ineligibility. The outcome of the appeal, particularly the length of any ineligibility sentence, will determine Le Pen's ability to run in the upcoming presidential race. An intermediate sentence, such as a two-year ineligibility, could potentially allow her to stand for election.