The French Court of Appeal will issue a ruling on Le Pen’s conviction – which affects | Court Affairs

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The right-wing leader could be barred from running for president in 2027 if corruption charges are brought to light.

France’s appeals court is poised to issue a landmark ruling against Marine Le Pen and other members of her National Rally party misused the funds of the European Parliament for hiring assistants between 2004 and 2016.

If, on Tuesday, the court approves his 2025 decision, which banned him for five years and sentenced him to prison, Le Pen – one of the most popular people in Europe and the leader in the elections for the French race of 2027 – may not be able to stand in the presidential elections next year.

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On Wednesday last week, Le Pen said that even if the court orders her to wear an electric bracelet, she will not stop. “If I can be a candidate, I will be a candidate, as long as I can campaign,” the 57-year-old politician told the LCI channel.

“Because if I am allowed to be a candidate but I am forbidden to campaign freely, then you understand that it is not possible.

What was Le Pen convicted of?

In March 2025, a The Paris Court of Appeal has ruled that Le Pen was at the heart of a “fraudulent scheme” used by her party to embezzle 2.9 million euros ($3.32m) of EU Parliament funds.

The court also fined the National Rally party 2 million euros ($2.29m), half of which was suspended.

He was accused of using the money to pay the expenses of the parliamentary assistants to pay the workers of his political party. EU politicians are given allowances for personal expenses, including the salaries of parliamentary assistants, but they are not allowed to use them for party activities.

Le Pen was ordered to stand trial in 2023, after a seven-year investigation, along with more than a dozen others. He and his party have denied the allegations, saying the money was used properly and that the critics used a narrow definition of what a parliamentary assistant does.

What was the political impact of the decision?

As part of a preliminary ruling last year, Le Pen was given a five-year ban from holding elected office and sentenced to two years in prison with an electric bracelet. As France will hold the first round of its next presidential election on April 18, 2027, and the final election on May 2, Le Pen will not be able to run if she loses the appeal.

The far-right leader has vowed to fight if he is banned from running. “If I can’t be a candidate, I will use every means of appeal,” said Le Pen.

Therefore, he can go to the highest court in France, called the Court of Cassation, which does not judge cases but investigates whether the courts and appeals courts have followed the law correctly. The court may take about 6 months to hear the case and make a decision.

If allowed to run, Le Pen is seen as the main contender to replace President Emmanuel Macron in the 2027 election. If not, she The 30-year-old defends Jordan Bardella instead he would run.

What can the Court of Appeal decide?

An appeals court could overturn Le Pen’s decision on July 7, leaving her free to run in next year’s presidential election. Legal experts say the outcome seems unlikely, however, based on the court’s initial findings.

Instead, the court may accept Le Pen’s decision. If upheld by the five-year ban requested by prosecutors, it would remove him from the presidential race, paving the way for Bardella to take his place. Le Pen can appeal to the Court of Cassation.

The third is that the court admits that the person is guilty but reduces the punishment. If the ban is lifted or shortened to two years or less, the door to running for president will be open.