A French appeals court this week upheld Marine Le Pen's conviction for embezzling funds from the European Parliament and sentenced her to house arrest – something the far-right leader previously said would rule her out of France's 2027 presidential race. Yet Le Pen still has one last legal recourse to overturn her conviction and, pending that appeal, remains free to hit the campaign trail.
Issued on: 09/07/2026 - 07:09
3 min Reading time
Despite maintaining the guilty verdict against Le Pen, Tuesday's ruling by the Paris court of appeal worked in the politician's favour. It shortened a ban on public office that would have kept the leader of the far-right National Rally (RN) – formerly the National Front – out of next year's presidential election and cleared the path for a second appeal that effectively puts her sentence on hold. Le Pen was convicted last year of participating in a fake jobs scam at the European Parliament which saw more than €2.8 million of EU funds fraudulently diverted to the RN's coffers between 2004 and 2016. A lower court had sentenced her to a four-year prison sentence, a fine of €100,000 and, crucially, a five-year ban from public office. Effective from March 2025, it would have put the 2027 election definitively out Le Pen's reach. But the appeals court this week shortened the ban to 15 months – plus 30 suspended – starting from her conviction. That period expired at the beginning of this month. Le Pen, who had been preparing her protégé Jordan Bardella to stand in her place, announced her candidacy the same evening. Le Pen confirms presidential bid after Paris appeals court upholds conviction House arrest The biggest legal obstacle that remains is Le Pen's custodial sentence. The appeals court shortened it from four years to three, with two suspended. The remaining year can be served under house arrest, with an electronic ankle monitor. That sentence would severely limit Le Pen's movements, with a judge's approval required to travel or even leave her home outside designated times. Before the ruling, Le Pen indicated she would not run for president under house arrest, telling the LCI news channel: "I can't be dependent on a judge to authorise me to go hold a campaign rally... or to visit a market." Yet Le Pen, who denies any wrongdoing, has announced that she will appeal her conviction again in France's highest court, the Court of Cassation, which has the power to uphold the verdict definitively or to order a new trial. Until the court rules – which typically takes around a year – her sentence will not be enforced. "I had said that I would not campaign while wearing an electronic ankle monitor, but since I have the option to appeal... and since an appeal to the Court of Cassation suspends the effects of the ruling, I will therefore campaign without an ankle monitor," Le Pen told broadcaster TF1 after Tuesday's ruling.
