This appeal ruling will decide Le Pen’s political future and will effectively signal the starting signal for the presidential election. The first round will take place on April 18, 2027, the runoff election will take place on May 2nd.
On March 31, 2025, she was banned from holding public office for five years after a court found her guilty of embezzling €1.4 million (£1.2 million) in European Parliament (EP) funds to pay her own party staff instead of parliamentary assistants from 2004 to 2016. Le Pen was a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from 2004 to 2017.
She was also given a four-year prison sentence, two suspended and two to be served at home with an electronic tag.
Le Pen was found to have either approved or tolerated the fake jobs program, and the ruling barred her from the 2027 election.
During the appeal, which was heard in January and February, Le Pen denied organizing the fraud but acknowledged a “mistake” that led to some parliamentary staff working “for the benefit of the party.”
Prosecutors want the original five-year ban on public office to remain in place, with a now four-year prison sentence, including one year served on an electronic tag and three years of probation.
Le Pen says she is not afraid of the decision but believes it will be “not possible” to run for president if the judges decide she must carry a sign.
