A Paris appeals court issued its ruling on Tuesday, upholding the embezzlement conviction of National Rally leader Marine Le Pen while reducing her ban on seeking elected office — a decision that could allow her to compete in France’s 2027 presidential race.
Under the court’s ruling, Le Pen will serve a three-year prison sentence, with two of those years suspended. She will also be required to wear an electronic ankle monitoring device for one year.
The decision also opens the door for her political protégé, 30-year-old Jordan Bardella, who would likely become the anti-immigrant National Rally’s top presidential contender if Le Pen ultimately chooses not to run.
Le Pen’s path to the presidency had been blocked since March 2025, when she was handed a five-year ban from public office along with a four-year prison sentence. That original verdict came after she was found guilty of embezzling more than 4 million euros — roughly $4.6 million — from the European Parliament.
The court determined she had participated in a scheme that diverted EU funds intended to pay parliamentary staff, channeling that money instead to employees of the National Rally party. Le Pen denied any wrongdoing and pursued an appeal.
Her attorney, Rodolphe Bosselut, responded cautiously to Tuesday’s ruling. “We are considering the decision as a whole, we will issue a further statement. We are partially satisfied,” he said.
Critics on the political left were quick to condemn the situation. Left-wing Ensemble deputy Clementine Autain pointed to what she called hypocrisy within the National Rally. “Whilst the RN blames immigrants for all society’s ills and dreams of imposing ever-harsher penalties for petty crime, it is fleecing taxpayers… The RN leader has vowed that she will not be able to campaign under these conditions. Will she keep her word?” she said.
Benjamin Lucas-Lundy, coordinator of the left-wing political group Generation.s, went further, arguing Le Pen should no longer hold her current legislative seat. “She has been found guilty by the courts of theft… I don’t think she should even be sitting as a Member of Parliament here in the National Assembly any longer,” he stated.
