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Marine Le Pen officially announced on Tuesday that she will run in France’s 2027 presidential election after an appeals court reduced her ban from holding public office while upholding her conviction for embezzling European Union funds. The National Rally (RN) leader also confirmed she will appeal the ruling to France’s highest court.
Speaking during a prime-time interview on TF1, Le Pen declared, “Tonight, I am a candidate in the presidential election,” adding that French voters should have the final say. She simultaneously launched her campaign website, setting the stage for a high-profile race despite the criminal conviction.
The appeals court shortened Le Pen’s ineligibility period from 60 months to 45 months, with 30 months suspended. Because the ban has been running since the original 2025 judgment, the remaining 15-month restriction has already been served, allowing her to seek office in 2027.
Le Pen said her appeal to the Cour de Cassation suspends the enforcement of the ruling, including the requirement to wear an electronic ankle monitor. France’s highest court has previously indicated it would seek to resolve the case before the presidential election.
The 57-year-old politician had faced uncertainty since March 2025, when she received a five-year electoral ban for using European Parliament funds to pay National Rally staff in France. During that period, the RN began preparing party president Jordan Bardella as a potential presidential candidate.
Recent opinion polls place the RN ahead of its rivals, with Le Pen remaining one of the leading contenders despite the conviction. She insisted there is now “no longer any scenario” in which she will not run.
The appeals court said it considered “the voter’s freedom of choice” when reducing the ban, even while affirming that Le Pen was guilty of misusing public funds intended for European Parliament assistants. Green Party leader Marine Tondelier criticized Le Pen’s decision to run, arguing that a politician convicted of misappropriating public money should not seek the presidency. Le Pen continues to deny wrongdoing and maintains the conviction is politically unjustified.
