French far-right leader appeals conviction that bars her from office

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen has appeared at the Paris Court of Appeal, seeking to overturn her conviction for embezzling European Parliament funds, a ruling that currently bars her from running for public office for five years.

The 57-year-old insisted she “had no sense of having committed an offence” when hiring assistants who worked on her National Rally (RN) party affairs rather than for the European Parliament, which funded their salaries, BBC reports.

“The EP did not play its role of raising the alarm as it should have,” Le Pen told judges at the start of the appeal hearing, which will continue until February 12, though a ruling is not expected before the summer. If the ban is upheld, she will be unable to contest the 2027 presidential election.

Last year’s case centered on allegations that Le Pen, along with more than 20 senior RN figures, misused European Parliament funding to pay party staff in France. Le Pen was handed a four-year prison sentence, with two years suspended and the remaining two to be served under electronic monitoring, along with a €100,000 fine and an immediate ban from seeking public office. The party was fined €2 million, half of which was suspended, and more than 20 party officials were found guilty. Eleven of her colleagues are participating in the appeal, while 12, including her sister Yann Le Pen, who received a one-year suspended sentence, chose not to challenge the verdict.

At January 12 hearing, presiding judge Michèle Agi read the charges and the previous verdict before summarizing the facts of the case. Le Pen, accompanied by her lawyers and some co-defendants, then addressed the court.

“We have never concealed anything, neither in the publication of our organisational charts, nor in the contracts filed, nor in the numerous press articles,” the RN leader stated.

Under French law, the appeals court reviews the lower court’s decision in full, including both facts and points of law. Analysts say several outcomes are possible: the court could overturn last year’s verdict entirely, remove the “immediate effect” clause while affirming guilt, reduce the five-year ban enough for her to register for the March 2027 deadline, uphold the lower court’s ruling, or even increase the sentence, which could bar her definitively from the race.

Le Pen, who has twice reached the presidential run-off, is seeking a fourth bid for the Élysée Palace. Her party president, Jordan Bardella, emphasized the stakes on Monday, warning that barring her would be “deeply worrying for democracy.” Bardella has said he will not stand for president himself, opting instead to pursue the post of prime minister.

A Le Monde opinion poll published ahead of the appeal suggested Bardella may fare better than Le Pen in a hypothetical presidential contest, polling at 49% against 18% for her. With the election expected around April 2027, the outcome of the appeal—and its timing—will be pivotal for France’s political landscape.

By Vafa Guliyeva