French court upholds Le Pen's fraud conviction, threatening 2027 presidential bid

Published on 07/07/2026 - 13:59 GMT+2•Updated

14:13

A Paris appeals court has upheld a fraud conviction against the leader of the far-right National Rally party, Marine Le Pen, throwing her 2027 bid for the presidency into doubt.

The court shortened Le Pen’s ban ⁠on running for elected office, which ‌potentially re-opens a path for her to run in the presidential race.

But it also ‌ruled that Le Pen would serve a three-year jail term. Although ‌the judge said that two ​years were suspended, it ordered her to wear an electronic ankle ​tag for one ​year.

Le Pen has previously said that she would not run for the presidency wearing an electronic tag.

'Witch hunt'

The first trial last year found Le Pen, along with 24 former European lawmakers, assistants and accountants, as well as the anti-immigration party itself, guilty of operating a system from 2004-2016 to use European Parliament funds to employ RN staff in France.

The court sentenced Le Pen to a five-year ban from public office and four years in prison, with two suspended.

Le Pen claimed her party was the victim of a "witch hunt" and some supporters sent the judges death threats. Le Pen, the party and 10 others appealed.

During the appeal trial, she denied that the RN had a system to embezzle European Parliament funds and has said her party acted in "complete good faith."

But prosecutors alleged she "professionalised" a way to divert EU funds first introduced haphazardly by her late father, party co-founder Jean-Marie Le Pen, after she took over its leadership from him in 2011.

This is a developing story and our journalists are working on further updates.