Marine Le Pen has been approved to run in the French presidential election in 2027. An appeals court upheld her 2025 embezzlement conviction but reduced her ineligibility period, allowing her candidacy. She will need to wear an electronic tag, a condition she previously said was impractical.
Initially, Le Pen faced a five-year ban from presidential elections. The appeals court decreased it to 45 months, with 30 suspended and 15 served. She has already fulfilled the required period, qualifying her for the April 2027 election.
Le Pen’s National Rally party, formerly National Front, was convicted in 2025 for misuse of EU funds to pay staff between 2004 and 2016. She was ordered to pay fines exceeding $100,000 and serve a four-year sentence, including house arrest with electronic tagging. The sentence was reduced on appeal to three years, with two suspended and one under house arrest with tagging.
Le Pen expressed that campaigning under house arrest would hinder her ability to run freely. She stated, “If it is a matter of allowing me to run as a candidate while effectively preventing me from campaigning with complete freedom, you will surely understand that that is not possible.”
Her lawyer, Rodolphe Bosselut, commented on the verdict positively, describing it as “a good start,” despite potential challenges. Among those involved, Le Pen and eight members faced up to ten years in prison. Several parliamentary aides of her party received convictions.
It was anticipated that Le Pen might pass the candidacy to Jordan Bardella, the party’s 30-year-old president. Speaking on RTL radio, pollster Adelaide Zulfikarpasic indicated that both Le Pen and Bardella had similar polling results.
In the upcoming election, a two-round voting process will occur. The first round will be on April 18, 2027, where voters select from various parties. On May 2, they return to choose between the top two candidates from the first round.
The “Republican Front” has historically prevented far-right victories, but support for Le Pen’s party has grown. Analysts suggest a potential surge in leadership for the National Rally party.
Le Pen achieved the second round in previous elections in 2017 and 2022, highlighting her party’s evolving influence. The prospect of her party winning in 2027 has increased, partly due to President Emmanuel Macron’s inability to run for another term.