Marine Le Pen to run for presidency despite reduced ban after court ruling
France's far-right leader Marine Le Pen announced she will stand as the National Rally candidate in next year’s presidential election, even though a court reduced her ban on holding office but upheld an embezzlement conviction.
A three-judge panel in Paris upheld Marine Le Pen’s embezzlement conviction but shortened the five-year ban that prevented her from running for office, replacing it with a one-year house-arrest sentence. Le Pen said she will appeal the ruling and confirmed she will remain the National Rally’s candidate for the 2027 presidential election.
During a televised appearance on TF1, Le Pen declared, "I am the candidate for the presidential election," and added that party president Jordan Bardella would serve as her prospective prime minister, describing the duo as "solid" with "strong convictions."
Le Pen, who has previously run for president three times, faces the prospect of a fourth campaign while contending with ongoing legal challenges. Polls taken before the verdict indicated she could reach a second-round runoff but would likely be defeated by a centrist opponent.
Political analysts note that the verdict may trigger internal shifts within the National Rally. Jean-Yves Camus, a specialist on the far right, said the party’s platforms are likely to diverge as a result of the ruling. Some party officials have previously suggested Bardella could replace Le Pen as the presidential candidate.
Opposition figures have criticized Le Pen’s eligibility, with Communist leader Fabien Roussel stating that a conviction should bar her from standing before voters.