French far-right leader Marine Le Pen is eligible to run for president in 2027 after an appeals court on Tuesday reduced the period of political ineligibility tied to her embezzlement conviction, reopening the race to succeed President Emmanuel Macron.
The court upheld Le Pen’s 2025 conviction for embezzling European Union funds but cut her ban from seeking public office from five years to 45 months, with 30 months suspended. The revised sentence makes her eligible to stand in France’s April 2027 presidential election.
The court also reduced her prison sentence from four years to three. Two years were suspended, while one year will be served under house arrest with an electronic monitoring bracelet. A fine of more than 100,000 euros, suspended during the appeal, was reinstated.
Le Pen did not immediately say whether she would run. She was expected to address supporters later Tuesday.
The ruling leaves her facing a difficult choice. Le Pen has said campaigning while under electronic monitoring would be impossible because it would restrict her movements.
“When you are a presidential candidate, you must be completely free to move about,” she said last week.
Her lawyer, Rodolphe Bosselut, said he was “partially” satisfied with the ruling, calling it “a good start.” Le Pen can ask the court to reduce the electronic monitoring period to six months, potentially allowing her to campaign without restrictions next year.
Le Pen and eight current or former National Rally officials were convicted of diverting European Parliament funds intended for parliamentary assistants to pay party staff between 2004 and 2016. A dozen former parliamentary aides also were convicted.
The decision restores Le Pen’s place in a presidential race where opinion polls have consistently put her and National Rally President Jordan Bardella ahead of other potential candidates. Macron cannot seek another term because France’s Constitution limits presidents to two consecutive terms.
