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French far-right leader Marine Le Pen announced Tuesday that she will run for president next year, after an appeals court confirmed her embezzlement conviction but reduced her ban from public office.
The Paris appeals court upheld the guilty verdict against Le Pen and the National Rally (RN) party for running a fake jobs scam that diverted over 2.8 million euros in European Parliament funds.
While the court sentenced her to a 15-month ban from office and one year of house arrest with an electronic tag, she will immediately appeal to the country’s highest court, which automatically suspends the penalties during the process.
The new 15-month ban cleared the veteran politician to participate in the upcoming elections, as the backdated penalty already expired this year.
Le Pen had previously suggested she might step aside for her 30-year-old lieutenant Jordan Bardella if the electronic ankle tag hindered her ability to travel, but she confirmed on the evening news that she will campaign without restriction during the high court appeal.
Avec Jordan Bardella, nous ne nous battons pas par ambition personnelle. Nous nous battons pour la France et les Français.
Je pense que ce couple présidentiel que nous proposons aux Français peut vraiment changer les choses. pic.twitter.com/lHU9YS6ezx
— Marine Le Pen (@MLP_officiel) July 7, 2026
Recent opinion polls suggest the far right could win the upcoming elections, though left-wing politicians argue that Le Pen’s conviction should disqualify her from seeking office.
