Paris Appeals Court Shortens Le Pen Ban, Enabling 2027 Run

A Paris appeals court has shortened a ban on Marine Le Pen holding public office, a ruling that potentially allows the far-right leader to contest France’s 2027 presidential election. The decision, delivered on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, provides a significant boost to her National Rally party, which currently leads in opinion polls.

The court was reviewing Le Pen’s appeal of a March 2025 conviction for embezzling European Parliament funds. The original verdict found her guilty of operating a system from 2004 to 2016 that used money intended for parliamentary assistants to pay employees of her political party. She was sentenced to a five-year ban from public office and a four-year jail term, with two years suspended. The appeals court reduced the length of the ban, though the specific new duration was not immediately detailed in initial reports. The status of her prison sentence remains subject to the court's full ruling.

The legal outcome directly determines Le Pen’s eligibility to run for president. A ban lasting more than two years from its effective start date of March 31, 2025, would have barred her from the election. With the ban shortened, the path is cleared for a potential...