French far-right chief Marine Le Pen's political future remained uncertain Tuesday after a court cleared her to run but wearing an ankle tag, potentially hampering a campaign for next year's presidential elections when her party has its strongest chance yet of winning power.
A lower court last year had sentenced Le Pen, 57, to a five-year ban from public office and a two-year sentence over a fake jobs scam at the European Parliament, threatening the three-time presidential candidate's hopes to replace outgoing centrist President Emmanuel Macron.
The Paris appeals court found Le Pen guilty over the scam but reduced that 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.
