❓WHAT HAPPENED: French populist leader Marine Le Pen has begun a high-stakes appeal in Paris against a ruling banning her from running for public office for five years, due to a controversial conviction for embezzling European Union (EU) funds.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Marine Le Pen, her National Rally (RN) party, and Court of Appeal judges.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The appeal began in Paris and will last until February 12, with a ruling expected by the summer.
💬KEY QUOTE: Barring Le Pen from the presidential election would be “deeply worrying for democracy,” said Jordan Bardella, president of the National Rally party.
🎯IMPACT: The outcome of the appeal will determine whether Le Pen can run in the 2027 French presidential election.
Marine Le Pen has launched an appeal in Paris against a conviction that bars her from holding public office for five years, a ruling that could end her hopes of running in France’s 2027 presidential election. The case stems from a 2022 judgment in which Le Pen, leader of the populist National Rally (RN), was found guilty of embezzling approximately $3.2 million in European Union (EU) funds. The court ruled that parliamentary assistants paid by the European Parliament had, in fact, worked for her party rather than on EU legislative duties.
Le Pen, 57, received a four-year prison sentence, with two years suspended, a fine of about $110,000, and an immediate ban from standing for public office. It was a highly controversial ruling, with the line between parliamentary and party work being ill-defined, and even anti-Le Pen journalists conceded that the prosecution appeared selective.
The Paris Court of Appeal will re-examine the case in full, reviewing both factual findings and legal arguments. Hearings are scheduled to run until February 12, with a decision expected by the summer. The timing is crucial, as candidates must register for the 2027 presidential race by March of that year. If the ban is upheld, Le Pen would be unable to stand.
Le Pen has long denied wrongdoing and argues that the case represents politically motivated “lawfare” aimed at removing her from public life. She has been a central figure in French politics for well over a decade, reshaping the party founded by her late father into the National Rally and leading it to achieve record electoral performances. She has run for president three times and was widely seen as a leading contender for 2027 before the conviction.
RN president Jordan Bardella warned that preventing Le Pen from competing would be “deeply worrying for democracy.” Bardella has ruled out running for president himself, instead positioning himself as a future candidate for prime minister. However, recent opinion polls suggest he may outperform Le Pen in some hypothetical presidential matchups, highlighting his growing prominence within the party.
International figures have also weighed in. President Donald J. Trump criticized the prosecution against Le Pen last year, calling it politically driven and urging authorities to “FREE MARINE LE PEN!”
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