French far-right leader Marine Le Pen has been cleared to run in France’s 2027 presidential election after an appeals court reduced her ban from holding elected office, reviving her chances of competing for the country’s highest office.
Le Pen had appealed a ruling that imposed a five-year ban from public office along with a four-year prison sentence after she was convicted of embezzling funds from the European Parliament.
The appeals court shortened the period of her ban, making the 57-year-old National Rally leader eligible to contest next year’s presidential election. The decision is seen as a significant boost for the National Rally, which has been seeking to translate its growing electoral support into national power.
However, the court upheld a prison sentence of three years, with two years suspended, and ordered Le Pen to wear an electronic monitoring tag for one year. While the revised ruling allows her to remain eligible for public office, the monitoring requirement could present logistical challenges during an election campaign.
Le Pen has argued that campaigning while wearing an electronic tag would be impractical, telling French broadcaster BFMTV that it would be difficult to conduct a national campaign under those conditions.
The court’s decision marks a major development in French politics, reopening the possibility of another presidential bid by Le Pen as the National Rally prepares for the 2027 election.
