Overview
- The Paris appeals court on Wednesday upheld Marine Le Pen’s conviction for misuse of European Parliament funds but reduced her disqualification so that, accounting for time already served, she is technically eligible to stand in the 2027 presidential vote.
- Le Pen immediately announced her candidacy and resumed effective control of the National Rally, pushing her protégé Jordan Bardella back into a secondary role as the party reorders its campaign leadership.
- Prosecutor General Marie-Suzanne Le Queau said prosecutors will not enforce the court-ordered ankle monitor, removing a practical restriction that Le Pen had said would hinder campaigning.
- Polling since the ruling shows Le Pen leading first-round support at roughly 34–36 percent, well ahead of center-right and other rivals and reshaping the contest’s dynamics going into 2027.
- A final ruling by the Court of Cassation is pending and could overturn parts of the appeals decision; the case stems from a long-running ‘fake jobs’ probe into diverted EU parliamentary funds and its outcome will affect voter choices, party strategy, and how voters opposed to Le Pen navigate a polarized field.