French court to rule on Marine Le Pen's 2027 run July 7

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen faces a pivotal legal decision on Tuesday, July 7, that will determine her eligibility to run in the 2027 presidential election. The Paris appeals court will rule on her challenge to a March 2025 conviction for misusing European Parliament funds, a verdict that included a five-year ban from holding elected office.

Le Pen, 57, was found guilty last year of playing a central role in a scheme that misappropriated millions in EU funds intended to pay parliamentary assistants from 2004 to 2016. The funds were allegedly used to pay party staff in France. In addition to the office ban, she received a four-year prison sentence, with provisions for home detention. She has consistently denied wrongdoing, calling the prosecution politically motivated.

In a television interview, Le Pen stated she would not run for president if the appeals court orders her to wear an electronic monitoring bracelet, arguing it would prevent her from campaigning freely. She affirmed that if she cannot be a candidate, she will pursue every available legal appeal, potentially taking the case to France's highest court, the Court of Cassation. That process could take...