France's Le Pen put under house arrest, presidential run in doubt
Far-right leader Marine Le Pen leaves the courtroom after the verdict of her appeal trial, in Paris, France, July. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)
An appeals court on July 7 handed France's far-right chief Marine Le Pen a one-year term with an ankle tag over a fake jobs scam in the European parliament, casting doubt on whether she will run for president next April.
The Paris appeals court found Le Pen guilty over a fake jobs scam at the European Parliament but reduced her sentence, banning her from office for 15 months as well as sentencing her to one year to be served with an electronic tag.
Dating from March 2025, the ban is expected to have expired this year, clearing the way in principle for her to run in polls set for April and May next year, but she has said she may not run if the sentence prevents her from campaigning.
