Marine Le Pen said she will run for president in 2027 and appeal a Paris court ruling that upheld her conviction while reducing the election ban that had threatened to keep her off the ballot.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
French National Rally leader Marine Le Pen announced Tuesday that she will run in the 2027 presidential election and pursue another appeal after a Paris court ruling left her eligible to seek office but imposed penalties that could otherwise restrict her campaign.
Le Pen made the announcement during an interview on TF1’s evening news program “20 heures,” saying she intends to represent the National Rally in the race to succeed President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace.
“I want to pursue all legal avenues to defend my innocence in this case. I am a candidate tonight,” Le Pen said, according to Le Figaro.
Her remarks came hours after the Paris Court of Appeals upheld last year’s conviction against Le Pen and several colleagues in a case involving alleged embezzlement of European Union funds. The funds were intended to support party operations in Brussels and Strasbourg, but prosecutors alleged they were used for domestic political activity in France.
Le Pen was initially sentenced last year to four years in prison, fined 100,000 euros and barred from running in any European election for five years.
The appellate court on Tuesday reduced the ineligibility penalty to 15 months, clearing the way for Le Pen to run in the April 2027 presidential election. The court, however, upheld the 100,000 euro fine and imposed a three-year prison sentence, with at least one year to be served under house arrest while wearing an electronic ankle monitor.
Le Pen had previously said she would not run for president if she were forced to campaign under house arrest. On Tuesday, however, she said she will take the case to the Court of Cassation, France’s highest court for such matters.
Le Pen said the appeal would suspend the effects of the ruling and restore the presumption of innocence while the case continues, meaning she would not be required to wear an electronic monitor during the campaign.
“I had indicated that I would not campaign while wearing an electronic tag. But since I have the option of appealing to the Court of Cassation… and the appeal suspends the effects of the ruling, I will campaign without an electronic tag,” she said.
Le Pen continued to deny wrongdoing, rejecting claims from left-wing politicians who said the appeals ruling confirmed her guilt.
“This accusation is based on the claim that our assistants engaged in national politics when they should have been working on European politics. The court reiterated that there was no financial gain in this matter,” she said.
The ruling had raised immediate questions about whether Le Pen or her 30-year-old deputy, Jordan Bardella, would lead the National Rally in the next presidential election. Le Pen had previously suggested Bardella could run if she were barred from the race.
With the ban shortened, Le Pen said she intends to run alongside Bardella politically and would name him prime minister if she wins.
“We complement each other,” Le Pen said, adding, “We are fighting for France… I think this political partnership we form can truly change things.”
Le Pen also framed the legal battle as a question of democratic choice, arguing that voters should decide her political future.
“One must never impose anything on the French people; one must leave them the final say. And the French will have the final say,” she said.
Her announcement means the National Rally is moving forward with Le Pen as its presidential candidate while her legal challenge continues before France’s top appeals court.
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