PARIS (AP) — Far-right leader Marine Le Pen announced her intention to run for the French presidency in the upcoming election, despite being sentenced to wear a court-ordered electronic monitor for embezzlement. The 57-year-old veteran of three previous presidential races indicated that this campaign will be unprecedented, as she may seek votes under the constraints of legal monitoring.
On the night of the ruling, Le Pen expressed her confidence in appealing the verdict to France’s highest court, suggesting that the appeal process would suspend the requirement for her to wear an electronic monitor for a year. "I will therefore campaign without an electronic bracelet," she stated during a television interview. This declaration firmly positioned her as a candidate for the presidential election.
The appeals court ruling, delivered earlier in the day, shortens a previous five-year ban on seeking public office. Although this ban had effectively barred her from running, the court also mandated that she wear an electronic monitor. Previously, Le Pen claimed that such a monitoring device would make campaigning impossible. However, after discussions with key members of her National Rally party, she felt optimistic, asserting that her appeal to the Court of Cassation would clear her name. "My hands are clean," Le Pen asserted.
The legal representatives of the Court of Cassation have indicated that they expect to rule before the presidential election, which is scheduled for April 2027, with a definitive knockout round in May. Le Pen emphasized her commitment to seeking all available legal avenues to defend her innocence amidst the ongoing trial processes.
The appeals court confirmed Le Pen's conviction for misusing European Parliament funds through her party, which involved paying staff using money allocated for European Union parliamentary assistants. While she denied any criminal wrongdoing, she acknowledged that the party made a "mistake" during the trial. The court found all 11 individuals accused guilty, along with the National Rally party itself, concluding that they embezzled 2.8 million euros ($3.2 million) over more than 11 years.
Chief Judge Michèle Agi remarked on the seriousness of the facts involved in the case. Nevertheless, the appeals court reduced Le Pen's presidential candidacy ban from five years to 45 months, with two-thirds of that period suspended. As she has already served 15 months, this ruling removes a significant obstacle for her path to running for office.
Additionally, the court reduced her prison sentence from four years, with two suspended, to three years with two years suspended. Le Pen previously stated that not being able to run in 2027 would equate to "political death." After her court appearance, Le Pen went directly to the National Rally's headquarters in Paris to strategize with her party members, including her protégé, Jordan Bardella, who would have taken her place as the party's presidential candidate if she felt unable to continue due to the electronic monitoring sentence.
Le Pen has been a candidate in every presidential election since 1988, with her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, appearing on the ballot four times before her three campaigns. Despite facing potential attacks from critics regarding her embezzlement conviction, Le Pen shifted the narrative to emphasize how the court ruling has enabled voters to consider her candidacy again in the upcoming election.
The National Rally, originally known as the National Front prior to its rebranding in 2018, has sought to broaden its appeal and distance itself from associations with her father's controversial legacy, which includes collaborations with far-right and extremist ideologies. The recent court ruling highlighted the importance of voter choice, indicating that the ban on her seeking office had already repaired the integrity harmed by her past actions. The court included in its written verdict that it "would undermine the principle of freedom to stand for election, an essential condition for the democratic expression of universal suffrage."
