Overview
- The Paris appeals court on Tuesday confirmed Marine Le Pen's conviction for systematic misappropriation of EU funds and sentenced her to three years in prison with two years suspended and one year to be served under house arrest with an electronic ankle monitor.
- The court reduced her ban on running for office to 45 months, suspended 30 months, and treated 15 months as already served from the first-instance ruling, a change the judges said preserves voters' right to choose.
- Le Pen announced she will run in 2027 and has filed a cassation appeal to the Court of Cassation, a move that pauses enforcement of the sentence and could yield a final decision on her eligibility before the election.
- The ankle monitor and court-ordered travel controls create major practical limits on a nationwide campaign because each trip outside the home would require judicial approval and fixed curfews could constrain events.
- RN leader Jordan Bardella remains the ready alternative and the episode broadens stakes for European politics because a successful RN bid would push sharp changes in EU policy, budget contributions, and migration rules.