Marine Le Pen announced on Tuesday that she will run in the 2027 French presidential election despite a court ruling that upheld her conviction for embezzlement and ordered her to wear an electronic monitoring bracelet. The far-right leader of the National Rally (RN) party faces a complex legal and political situation as she seeks votes while potentially subject to restrictions related to her sentence.
Le Pen, 57, a veteran candidate who has run for president three times before, has appealed the ruling to France’s highest court, the Court of Cassation. She expressed confidence in being cleared, stating she plans to campaign without wearing the electronic monitor while the appeal process suspends the requirement for one year. The Court of Cassation is expected to issue a ruling before the first round of the presidential election in April 2027.
The Paris Appeals Court upheld the guilty verdicts against Le Pen and 10 other individuals, including several party members, confirming that the National Rally embezzled approximately $3.2 million from European Parliament funds over more than 11 years. These funds were originally allocated for European Union parliamentary assistants but were diverted for other uses. Le Pen denied any criminal wrongdoing but acknowledged during the trial that the party had made an error.
While the court shortened a previously imposed five-year ban on Le Pen standing for public office to 45 months—two-thirds of which are suspended—and reduced her prison sentence from four years (with two suspended) to three years (with two suspended), she has already served 15 months of the ban. This effectively removes the legal barrier preventing her candidacy. However, she must wear an electronic monitoring device as part of the sentence, with details governing its use to be determined by another judge in the coming weeks. After six months, the device may be removed as a reward for good behavior, contingent on Le Pen fulfilling the $114 million fine imposed on the party.
The ruling was seen by some as a balance between enforcing legal accountability and preserving democratic freedoms. The court cited the importance of the "freedom to stand for election" and noted the punishment imposed thus far had sufficiently addressed the harm to public integrity.
Le Pen’s decision to run comes amid internal discussions within the National Rally about whether to nominate her or her protégé, Jordan Bardella, a 30-year-old European Parliament lawmaker and party president, who has said he prepares to serve as prime minister if she wins the presidency. Bardella lacks Le Pen's electoral experience but is viewed as a potential future leader.
The National Rally, formerly known as the National Front until 2018, has grown significantly under Le Pen’s leadership, becoming the largest single party in France's National Assembly since 2024, although it does not hold a majority.
The latest conviction and sentence add a layer of complexity to Le Pen’s campaign, potentially providing ammunition to her political opponents, yet she continues to lead opinion polls. Both supporters and critics are closely watching how the legal proceedings will impact France’s upcoming presidential race.