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Update 08/07/2026: Marine Le Pen has announced she will run in the 2027 French presidential election despite a court ordering restrictions on her freedom of movement.
The RN firebrand announced her candidacy following a ruling by the Paris Court of Appeal that she had misused public funds, with the judicial body sentencing her to one year of electronic monitoring and a 15-month ban on holding public office.
While the ban on holding public office would, in theory, not impact a future presidential run, Le Pen previously said that campaigning for the office while wearing an electronic ankle monitor would be “impossible”.
The former National Rally leader now insists, however, that she will forge ahead with the campaign despite the court’s ruling.
“From today, I am a candidate in the presidential election,” she told French television, insisting that she would campaign for the role with the help of the current National Rally leader, Jordan Bardella.
“With Jordan Bardella, we are going to launch this presidential campaign, and it is together that we will go convince the French that we are the only ones who can make good decisions to change their future.”
Le Pen added that she would be appealing her conviction to France’s Court of Cassation, the country’s supreme judicial authority on criminal matters.
Authorities have confirmed that the appeal will mean the suspension of her sentence, likely meaning that Le Pen will likely begin her campaign without an ankle monitor.
“As long as there is an appeal to the Court of Cassation, I will not enforce the ruling issued by the Court of Appeal. Therefore, Marine Le Pen will begin her campaign without an electronic monitoring bracelet,” the court’s attorney general told the media.
“If the Court of Cassation’s decision is handed down before the presidential election, she could, however, have to wear a bracelet for the remainder of her campaign.”
Original Article 07/07/2026:
A French court has banned right-wing firebrand Marine Le Pen from holding public office in the country in what could be the final blow to her 2027 presidential election hopes.
The Paris Court of Appeal upheld a previous conviction regarding the alleged misuse of EU public funds, which had seen the top National Rally politician receive a four-year suspended prison sentence, and a ban on running for office for 45 months.
It also included Le Pen being required to serve a two-year stint of wearing an ankle monitor, with rules restricting her movements imposed upon her.
The ban currently has not impacted her position as a French MP, as it is protected by parliamentary immunity.
According to a report by Le Figaro, the appeals court did opt to reduce Le Pen’s sentences, with the right-wing leader now only forced to wear an ankle tag for a year, while being subjected to a 15-month ban from political life.
With the judge backdating this latter sentence to the date of her initial conviction, the ruling means that Le Pen could technically run for the French presidential election next year.
However, she would be forced to do so while wearing an electronic monitor, something which she has previously said would render political campaigning unfeasible.
“If I’m allowed to be a candidate but am effectively prevented from campaigning freely, then you understand that it would be impossible,” she previously told reporters.
Her lawyer has since said that the reduced sentence represents a “significant shift”, and that Le Pen will now consider it and all of its ramifications carefully before announcing her next move.
A statement on such a decision is expected today at 7pm Irish time.
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