Marine Le Pen, the leader of France’s far-right, declared on Tuesday (July 7) her candidacy for the 2027 presidential election after an appeals court reduced her ban on running for office, even while maintaining her conviction for diverting EU funds to compensate party staff.
She also announced plans to challenge the conviction.
Le Pen swiftly initiated her campaign website and called on voters for their support, marking an unprecedented moment in France, with a prominent candidate proceeding to elections following a guilty verdict involving misuse of public funds.
“This evening, I am a candidate for the presidential election,” Le Pen stated in a prime-time interview on TF1, shortly after the ruling. “The final decision rests with the French people.”
Currently leading in polls, Le Pen said she plans to take Tuesday’s ruling to the Cour de Cassation, the highest court in France, which will suspend the ruling, including the requirement for her to wear an electronic ankle bracelet. She reaffirmed her belief that she has committed no wrongdoing.
The presidential aspirations of the 57-year-old Le Pen had been uncertain since March 2025, when she received a five-year electoral ban for using European Parliament funds to cover salaries for staff at her anti-immigrant National Rally (RN) party in France. In anticipation, the RN had begun preparations for her 30-year-old protégé, Jordan Bardella, to potentially stand as its candidate,
BAN HAS ALREADY BEEN SERVED
The recent judgment rendered Le Pen ineligible for public office for 45 months instead of 60, with 30 months suspended. As the ban has been in effect since last year’s ruling, she has already served the necessary 15-month suspension.
The appeals court indicated that while it upheld Le Pen’s guilt, it also considered “the voters’ freedom of choice, essential for the exercise of democratic suffrage.”
The RN is leading in polls for the upcoming April election, and Le Pen, who has unsuccessfully sought the presidency for the far right three times over 15 years, is betting that voters will overlook her conviction.
“There is no scenario where I will not run in 2027,” she asserted defiantly on TF1.
In recent months, Le Pen had stated that she would withdraw from the presidential race if the court imposed electronic monitoring, stating it would hinder her campaigning and credibility.
However, she informed TF1 that her appeal to the Cour de Cassation means she would not be required to wear the electronic tag.
Moreover, the Cour de Cassation has previously indicated that it would aim to reach a decision on Le Pen’s case before the election in the event of an appeal.
RN LARGEST SINGLE PARTY IN NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
The RN has emerged as the largest single party in the National Assembly, despite France’s parliament being divided into three main factions: the far right, the hard left, and the centre.
Green party leader Marine Tondelier remarked that “in a reasonable world where the RN had even the slightest moral grounding, (Le Pen) would step aside … as it is not appropriate to stand for election after being found guilty of misappropriating public funds.”
Le Pen’s conviction arises from allegations that RN members improperly used funds intended for European Parliament assistants.
In 2025, judges found her to be a key player in the scheme, a determination she contested. Tuesday’s ruling affirmed her guilt in embezzling public funds.
