The Paris Court of Appeal on 7 July 2026 confirmed Marine Le Pen’s guilt for misusing European Parliament funds but reduced the five-year ban on holding public office to 15 months effective, a period already served since the first-instance verdict of March 2025. The ruling makes the National Rally leader legally eligible to contest the April 2027 presidential election. She was also sentenced to three years in prison, with one year to be served under house arrest with an electronic tag, a condition she had previously described as incompatible with a national campaign. Hours after the verdict, Le Pen announced she would appeal to the Court of Cassation, a step that suspends the sentence and, she argued, allows her to campaign without the tag. “This evening I am a candidate for the presidential election,” she told TF1 television, adding that party president Jordan Bardella would serve as her prime minister if she wins.

Reactions to the ruling underscored the deep divisions it has exposed. The European Parliament’s lawyer, Patrick Maisonneuve, said the court had confirmed the “misappropriation of public funds” and described the conduct as theft from European taxpayers. Within France, left-wing and green politicians argued that a convicted candidate should not seek the highest office, while centrist former prime minister Édouard Philippe stated that voters would ultimately judge. Le Pen’s party framed the outcome as a judicial overreach that nonetheless respected democratic choice. The court itself, in its written reasoning, stated that the reduced ineligibility was intended to preserve the “freedom of candidacy” and the “free choice of electors,” principles it deemed essential to democratic expression.

The decision creates an unprecedented situation: a presidential frontrunner convicted of embezzlement campaigning while her final appeal is pending. If the Court of Cassation upholds the conviction before the April 2027 first round, she could be barred at the last moment. Conversely, a presidential victory would confer immunity from the sentence. The electronic tag, if eventually enforced, would impose logistical constraints, requiring judicial permission for travel and public appearances. Polls consistently show that either Le Pen or Bardella would lead the first round, with some surveys suggesting Bardella might outperform his mentor. The party has spent months preparing for both scenarios, and Le Pen’s announcement effectively ends the internal succession debate.

The case originates from a scheme between 2004 and 2016 in which the National Rally, then called the National Front, used EU funds to pay party staff in France. The total misappropriated amount was estimated at €2.8 million. The first-instance verdict in March 2025 had imposed an immediate five-year ban, which Le Pen denounced as a “democratic scandal.” The appeals court’s decision to maintain the conviction while lifting the electoral bar reflects a balancing act between legal accountability and electoral rights. The prosecutor general has until 20 July to decide whether to lodge a competing appeal to the Court of Cassation. Le Pen’s own appeal is expected to be heard by the end of 2026, with a ruling likely before the election. The campaign is now effectively underway, with Le Pen and Bardella presenting themselves as a “winning ticket.”