French court ruling revives Marine Le Pen’s hopes of running in 2027 election UPDATED

A Paris appeals court has upheld the conviction of French far-right leader Marine Le Pen over the misuse of European Union funds, but reduced the length of her ban on holding elected office, potentially reopening the path for the far-right leader to run in the 2027 presidential election, France 24 reports.

Under the court’s decision, Le Pen was sentenced to three years in prison, with two years suspended and one year to be served under electronic monitoring.

Although the court ruled that two years of the sentence would be suspended, it ordered her to wear an electronic ankle monitor for one year — a measure that could complicate a presidential campaign from both political and logistical perspectives.

The ruling has raised fresh questions over whether Le Pen will seek France’s highest office in the next election cycle.

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The political future of French far-right leader Marine Le Pen hangs in the balance as a Paris appeals court prepares to rule on whether she can stand in France's 2027 presidential election.

The court is expected to begin delivering its verdict from 1:30 p.m., with proceedings likely to last several hours, Caliber.Az reports, citing French media.

The decision could significantly reshape the race to succeed President Emmanuel Macron, who is constitutionally barred from seeking a third consecutive term.

Le Pen, 57, is challenging a March 2025 conviction that found her and several members of her National Rally party guilty of misusing European Parliament funds by paying party employees with money allocated for parliamentary assistants between 2004 and 2016.

The lower court handed Le Pen a prison sentence, suspended pending appeal, and barred her from holding elected office for five years.

She has consistently denied any wrongdoing and remains determined to launch a fourth presidential campaign.

However, if the appeals court upholds the lengthy ban, it could prevent her from contesting the 2027 election and bring to a halt the political career that has helped transform the National Rally into one of France's leading political forces.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov