Marine Le Pen has launched her presidential campaign after a court of appeal shortened her ban on running for office, clearing the way for her to participate in the 2027 vote. The far-right leader, accompanied by National Rally president Jordan Bardella, was cheered by supporters during a campaign gathering in La Flèche, a town in La Sarthe that recently elected an RN mayor.
Court ruling and legal battle
On Tuesday, the appeal court upheld Le Pen's conviction for orchestrating a fake-jobs scam involving the embezzlement of more than €2.8 million (£2.4 million) in European Parliament funds between 2004 and 2016. The funds were funneled into her party in Paris. Although her ban on running for office was shortened, she was also handed a one-year custodial sentence requiring her to wear an electronic ankle tag, restricting her movements. Le Pen had previously stated she would not run under such restrictions.
However, on Wednesday, Le Pen announced she would appeal to France's highest court, the Court of Cassation, on a point of law. While the appeal is pending, her sentence is put on hold, allowing her to campaign without wearing an electronic tag. “I’m a citizen like anyone else, who is using their rights,” she said, attempting to downplay the legal issues that opponents say will shadow her campaign.
Political reactions and campaign launch
In La Flèche, Le Pen faced leftwing protesters shouting “thief”, “criminal”, and “prison”, but also drew crowds of supporters seeking selfies. Asked if she was stalling the justice system, Le Pen replied, “I’m not playing for time,” and maintained her innocence. She emphasized her focus on policy issues: “I’m not going to spend the campaign on legal analysis … What I want now is to talk about politics because that is about French people’s futures and they want solutions to their daily problems like the cost of living, security issues, deindustrialisation and low salaries.”
Political opponents reacted sharply. Socialist MP Boris Vallaud called Le Pen “a delinquent,” noting she was convicted in a first trial and on appeal. Former prime minister Gabriel Attal, a centrist hopeful, said, “Her candidacy is hanging by a legal thread,” accusing her of taking the campaign “hostage.” Manuel Bompard of La France Insoumise called it “extraordinary” that Le Pen would run after the appeal court upheld her conviction.
Legal uncertainties ahead
Le Pen’s lawyer, Rodolphe Bosselut, admitted on French radio that running for president while appealing was “a risk.” The Court of Cassation could return a verdict early next year, though it typically takes longer. The court will not review the facts but only whether correct legal form was followed. If the court rules in Le Pen's favour, she would face another trial, but there would be insufficient time before the presidential vote. If the court rules against her, her conviction and sentence become definitive, potentially requiring her to begin wearing an electronic tag weeks before the election. However, fitting such monitoring often takes months, which could allow her to reach the presidency without a tag. If Le Pen wins the presidency in May before a tag is fitted, presidential immunity would shield her during her term.
