A Paris appeals court reduced Marine Le Pen’s election ban, allowing her presidential eligibility to return before the 2027 vote, but upheld penalties that could restrict her movement during the campaign.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
French National Rally leader Marine Le Pen regained a path to run in the 2027 presidential election Tuesday after the Paris Court of Appeal reduced her ban from seeking office, though other penalties imposed by the court could still complicate her campaign.
The ruling came after more than a year of uncertainty over whether Le Pen, a three-time presidential candidate, would be allowed to compete in the race to succeed President Emmanuel Macron.
Le Pen had faced a five-year ban from running in any election in Europe over allegations that European Union funds intended for her party’s work in the European Parliament had instead been used to finance party operations in France.
The Paris Court of Appeal reduced the ineligibility penalty from five years to 45 months, with 30 months suspended. Because the original ban was issued in March of last year, the remaining 15 months of ineligibility would expire before France’s April 18 presidential vote next year, Le Figaro reported.
The decision means Le Pen is no longer automatically barred from appearing on the presidential ballot. However, the court also imposed a €100,000 fine, a three-year suspended prison sentence and one year of house arrest with electronic monitoring.
That restriction could sharply limit Le Pen’s ability to campaign. She has previously said she would not run for president if required to wear an electronic monitoring device.
If she ultimately does not run, Le Pen has said she would support Jordan Bardella, her longtime deputy, as the National Rally candidate.
Le Pen may still appeal the house arrest portion of the ruling to the Court of Cassation, France’s highest appeals court. It is unclear whether that court would issue a decision soon enough to affect the presidential campaign timeline. Some observers have also suggested she could seek to have movement restrictions lifted after six months so she could campaign more freely.
Le Pen was reportedly scheduled to appear on Télévision Française 1 at 8 p.m. local time to address the court’s decision.
Her lawyer, Rodolphe Bosselut, said the appeals court specifically cited the “freedom of voters to have a candidate” in its ruling. He also said there had been a “considerable shift in the sentences, particularly regarding the ineligibility penalty.”
The ruling drew immediate political reaction in France.
François Ruffin, founder of the New Popular Front and a potential presidential candidate, said Le Pen should not remain in the race while under electronic monitoring.
“Let this simple question be in our minds: how can we imagine a presidential candidate campaigning with an electronic bracelet? It is a marker of the level of corruption of the nation,” Ruffin said.
Marine Tondelier, leader of the leftist-green Ecologists party, claimed the ruling showed Le Pen had judicial “privilege” and argued that the punishment was too lenient.
Le Pen’s supporters and other critics of the case have argued that the prosecution was politically motivated. A 2023 report found that as many as one in five members of the European Parliament had violated the same rules Le Pen was accused of breaking, while only one MEP had faced an investigation before Le Pen’s trial.
Macron declined to weigh in on the appeals court decision while speaking to reporters during a trip to Syria.
“What is healthy for democracy is that the President of the Republic does not comment on judicial decisions, so I will stick to this principle, especially abroad,” Macron said.
The ruling leaves Le Pen technically eligible to reenter the presidential race before the 2027 vote, but her ability to mount a full campaign may depend on whether the electronic monitoring and house arrest conditions remain in place.
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