Overview
- France’s appeals court upheld Marine Le Pen’s conviction for misuse of European Parliament funds but shortened her ban from office so she is now technically eligible to run in the 2027 presidential ballot.
- Prosecutor General Marie‑Suzanne Le Queau said she would not enforce the court’s electronic monitoring order, enabling Le Pen to campaign without an ankle monitor.
- Le Pen has declared her 2027 bid and filed a final appeal to the Court of Cassation, with that high court expected to issue a ruling before the presidential vote.
- Recent polls put Le Pen roughly in the mid‑30s percent for a first round, and National Rally president Jordan Bardella has been repositioned publicly as her partner in a prospective president‑prime minister pairing.
- The conviction concerns roughly €2.4 million diverted to party staff rather than MEP aides and judges found no evidence of personal enrichment, a legal backdrop that sharpens debate over what a Le Pen presidency could mean for domestic policy and France’s role in the EU.