Marine Le Pen may still be eligible to run for president of France in 2027 after a French appeals court announced it would issue a decision on her corruption case by next summer, effectively pausing the enforcement of her political ineligibility.
The far-right leader was handed a five-year ban from holding public office earlier this week after being found guilty of misusing European Parliament funds alongside 23 others.
The ruling — initially viewed as a major blow to her presidential ambitions — now appears to be less definitive following the court’s decision to take up her appeal in 2026, as reported by Digi24.
A Legal Twist in France’s Political Drama
Le Pen and her National Rally (Rassemblement National) party were accused of embezzling European Union funds by assigning publicly funded parliamentary assistants to party tasks. She received a suspended prison sentence, a fine, and the immediate application of a five-year ban from running for office — a measure that, under normal circumstances, would have barred her from participating in the next presidential race.
However, French law permits the suspension of such bans if an appeal is pending. With the appeals court stating it won’t reach a final verdict until 2026, Le Pen is legally allowed to campaign and potentially run — unless the verdict is upheld before candidate registration deadlines.
Le Pen Vows to Fight
Reacting to the original court ruling, Le Pen acknowledged that her path forward was “narrow” but insisted she would continue fighting. “This won’t stop me,” she said, signaling her intent to remain a central figure in the 2027 race.
As France’s leading opposition figure and a vocal critic of both immigration and the European Union, Le Pen has consistently performed strongly in national polls. The delay in her political ban offers her a renewed opportunity to maintain momentum and position herself as the primary alternative to President Emmanuel Macron’s eventual successor.
The appeals court’s timeline now adds a new layer of uncertainty to the already complex landscape of the 2027 presidential election.
