A French appeals court has ruled that Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Rally (RN) party, can run in the 2027 presidential election but must wear an electronic ankle tag for one year as part of her sentence. The court upheld her conviction for misusing European Parliament funds but reduced her original five-year ban on holding public office to 45 months, with 30 months suspended. The remaining 15 months of the ban have already been served, clearing her eligibility for the 2027 election.
Le Pen, who has previously run for president three times, has stated that she would not campaign under the condition of wearing an ankle tag, calling it a restriction on her freedom to campaign. "When you're a presidential candidate, you need to be completely free to move around," she said in a televised interview. "I can't depend on a magistrate to allow me to go to a rally."
The court's decision has sparked internal debate within the RN party, with some suggesting that Jordan Bardella, the 30-year-old party president, could replace Le Pen as the candidate. Bardella has gained popularity and is seen as a strong potential candidate, with some polls indicating he could perform as well as or better than Le Pen in a hypothetical election.
The case stems from allegations that Le Pen and her party used European Parliament funds to pay staff members for party activities between 2004 and 2016. The court found that this constituted embezzlement, and Le Pen was originally sentenced to four years in prison, two of which were suspended. The appeals court reduced this to three years, with two suspended and one year to be served under house arrest with an electronic tag.
Le Pen's lawyer, Rodolphe Bosselut, expressed partial satisfaction with the ruling, noting the reduction in the ban on holding office. However, the ankle tag condition remains a significant hurdle for her campaign. Le Pen is expected to announce her decision on whether to run in the coming days.
The RN party has been fined 2 million euros, half of which was suspended, for its role in the scheme. The party has denied wrongdoing, with Le Pen previously calling the case a "democratic scandal." The court's decision has raised questions about the party's future leadership and its chances in the 2027 election.