Marine Le Pen has been found guilty of misusing European Union funds by a Paris appeal court, which has also significantly reduced her sentence, potentially clearing the path for her to run in the April 2027 French presidential election. The court upheld her conviction for embezzling funds meant for European Parliament members between 2004 and 2016, using the money to pay party staff.

The appeal court modified the original sentence, reducing a five-year ban on holding public office. This ban has been backdated to March 2025, with the court deeming it already served. However, the leader of the hard-right National Rally (RN) party faces a one-year term under house arrest, to be served with an electronic ankle tag.

Despite the conviction, the court stated its decision aims to balance punishment with the freedom of candidacy and the rights of voters. Judges explained they had considered the freedom of candidacy and the free choice of electors when weighing the sentences of ineligibility. They determined it was their role to assess the proportionality of the punishment, recognizing that candidacy and voting are integral to the democratic process.

Le Pen has previously stated that she would not run for president if required to wear an electronic tag, asserting the need for total freedom of movement during a campaign. She is expected to announce her decision regarding her candidacy in a national television appearance. Her protege, 30-year-old Jordan Bardella, is seen as a potential successor if Le Pen withdraws.

The court's ruling comes after Le Pen's appeal was heard in January and February. The original sentence included two years with an ankle bracelet, which has now been reduced to one year. The three-year prison sentence she now faces includes two years suspended.

Political opponents have reacted critically to the verdict. Olivier Faure of the Socialist party argued that a candidate for France's highest office must set an example, which he believes Le Pen has not done. Marine Tondelier, leader of the Greens, suggested that Le Pen benefited from considerable leniency and that claims of a judicial conspiracy against her were unfounded.

Le Pen currently leads opinion polls for the 2027 presidential election, with less than a year remaining until the vote. This would be her fourth presidential bid, having lost twice previously to Emmanuel Macron, who is constitutionally barred from seeking a third consecutive term.

The scheme for which Le Pen was convicted involved fake jobs for parliamentary assistants. While the court acknowledged that the practice was initiated by her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, it also made clear that Marine Le Pen continued the system with the assistance of party colleagues who were Members of the European Parliament.