Marine Le Pen Announces 2027 presidential bid and plans to appeal conviction
France's National Rally leader Marine Le Pen said she will run in the 2027 presidential election and will appeal a court ruling that requires her to wear an electronic monitoring tag.
Marine Le Pen, leader of France's National Rally, announced on television that she will stand as a candidate in the 2027 presidential election. She said she will pursue all legal options to contest a recent conviction for misusing EU funds, which obliges her to wear an electronic monitoring tag for a year.
The Paris appeal court found her guilty of diverting €2.8 million intended for European Parliament members into a scheme that funded party staff, but it allowed her to run for office while wearing the tag. Le Pen said she cannot campaign with the device and will appeal the decision to the Court of Cassation.
She affirmed her intention to start campaigning immediately, describing it as a "rebirth of France," and ruled out any possibility of withdrawing. Le Pen indicated that, should she win, party president Jordan Bardella would serve as prime minister, emphasizing their long-standing partnership.
The appeal to the Court of Cassation is expected to take several months. If the higher court upholds the ruling, Le Pen could be required to wear the electronic tag throughout the election campaign, a situation she described as potentially embarrassing and a handicap.