Overview
- A Paris appeals court on Tuesday upheld Marine Le Pen’s conviction for misusing European Parliament funds while reducing her ban from public office and shortening her prison term.
- The court cut the ineligibility period to 45 months with 30 months suspended and imposed a three-year sentence with two years suspended plus one year under electronic monitoring at home.
- Le Pen announced she will run in 2027 and said she will appeal to the Court of Cassation, a move that could suspend the ankle-monitor condition while the highest court reviews the case.
- Le Pen says an ankle tag would make free, nationwide campaigning impossible and party leaders have prepared Jordan Bardella as the likeliest alternative if she withdraws or the tag remains in force.
- The conviction stems from an alleged long-running ‘fake jobs’ scheme that prosecutors say diverted EU parliamentary assistant funds to party staff and the Court of Cassation has indicated it will try to rule before the 2027 election.