A Paris appeals court has upheld the fraud conviction of Marine Le Pen, dealing a major blow to the leader of France’s far-right National Rally party and casting uncertainty over her plans to run for president in the 2027 election.
The court reduced the original punishment, but still imposed a ban from holding public office and a period of electronic monitoring. Le Pen was sentenced to a 15-month restriction from office, including one year under house arrest with an electronic tag. The decision keeps her political future uncertain, although the shorter ban could potentially leave open a path for her to seek the presidency.
The case dates back to allegations that Le Pen, along with 24 former European Parliament lawmakers, parliamentary assistants and accountants, as well as the National Rally itself, operated a scheme between 2004 and 2016 to misuse European Parliament funds. Prosecutors said money intended for EU parliamentary assistants was instead used to pay party employees working in France.
In the initial trial last year, Le Pen was found guilty and received a five-year ban from public office and a four-year prison sentence, with two years suspended. The National Rally and several defendants appealed the ruling.
