Marine Le Pen has confirmed that she will run in France’s next presidential election despite an appeals court upholding her conviction in a case involving the misuse of European Parliament funds. The announcement ends weeks of uncertainty over whether the longtime nationalist leader would seek the presidency for a fourth time.
Speaking during a television interview on Tuesday evening, Le Pen declared that she would enter the presidential race. Her announcement came just hours after the Paris appeals court confirmed her conviction in a case linked to the misuse of public money during her party’s time in the European Parliament.
The court ruled that Le Pen and several other members of her political party improperly used European Parliament funds that were meant to pay parliamentary assistants. According to the court, the money was instead used to pay party staff between 2004 and 2016.
Judges said the scheme involved more than 2.8 million euros in European Union funds. The court described the offenses as serious because of the amount of money involved and the long period over which the actions took place.
As part of the ruling, Le Pen received a 15-month ban from holding public office. She was also sentenced to one year of house arrest with an electronic monitoring device. However, she said she will challenge the decision before France’s highest court.
Le Pen explained that filing an appeal with the Court of Cassation would automatically suspend the enforcement of the sentence while the case is reviewed. She said this means she will be able to campaign without wearing an electronic ankle monitor during the election period.
The ruling replaced an earlier decision issued by a lower court in March 2025. That judgment had imposed a five-year ban from public office, which would have prevented Le Pen from running in the presidential election. The appeals court reduced the ban to 15 months, and because the period was backdated to March 2025, it has already expired.
The next French presidential election is scheduled to take place in April and May 2027. With the ban no longer blocking her candidacy, Le Pen is now free to seek the presidency if no further legal action changes her status.
Before Tuesday’s announcement, Le Pen had suggested she might withdraw from the race if legal restrictions made campaigning too difficult. She had also indicated that Jordan Bardella, the 30-year-old president of her party, could become the candidate if she was unable to run.
French law allows people serving house arrest with electronic monitoring to leave their homes during approved hours. A magistrate can also authorize travel for specific reasons, including campaign activities if permitted.
President Emmanuel Macron declined to comment on the court’s decision while visiting Syria. French leaders have generally avoided responding directly to ongoing judicial cases involving political figures.
The ruling has sparked mixed reactions across France. Supporters of Le Pen argue that legal action should not prevent voters from deciding who should become the country’s next president. Critics say political leaders should meet the highest ethical standards and accept the court’s decision.
The appeals court also upheld findings against several other members of Le Pen’s political movement. Among them was Louis Aliot, the party’s vice president and mayor of Perpignan. He received a one-year suspended prison sentence and a two-year suspended ban from holding public office, allowing him to remain in his current position.
Le Pen has continued to deny any wrongdoing throughout the case. She has rejected claims that she played a central role in the misuse of European Parliament funds and says she will continue fighting the conviction through the French legal system.
With her legal appeal now underway and her candidacy officially confirmed, France’s presidential race is expected to become even more closely watched as political parties prepare for the 2027 election.
