A French appeals court on Tuesday upheld Marine Le Pen’s embezzlement conviction but reduced part of her sentence, shortening a ban on seeking elected office and leaving the conservative former presidential candidate able to run in France’s 2027 race. The ruling also requires her to wear an ankle monitor for one year.
Le Pen was initially convicted by the Paris Criminal Court in 2025 in a case involving allegations that she and other members of her conservative National Rally party misused millions of dollars in European Union funds to pay assistants for political work in France. Le Pen has denied wrongdoing.
The original sentence handed down against Le Pen was five years in prison, including two years suspended and three years to be served under house arrest. Under the French legal system, the suspended portion functions as a warning, while the remaining term would be carried out outside prison under restrictions. The court also imposed a five-year ban on running for political office, which would have kept her out of the 2027 presidential election.
In its decision Tuesday, the appeals court reduced the sentence to three years, with two years suspended and one year to be served under house arrest, according to a court statement obtained by INC News.
Marine Le Pen arrives at the Paris Court of Appeal on July 7, 2026, for the verdict in her appeal trial over allegations of embezzlement of European public funds tied to suspected fake jobs at the European Parliament. (Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP via Getty Images)
The appeals court also cut her ban from holding or seeking office to 45 months, with 30 months suspended. Because the court counted the restriction as having begun with her initial sentencing in March 2025, the decision makes Le Pen eligible to run for office immediately.
Still, any presidential campaign would have to be mounted while she serves the house arrest portion of her sentence — a scenario Le Pen has suggested could be unworkable.
“If I’m allowed to be a candidate but am effectively prevented from campaigning freely, then you understand that wouldn’t be possible,” she told French media Wednesday.
Le Pen, along with 11 other associates, were found guilty of a litany of crimes related to the misuse of public funds. Le Pen herself was found guilty on charges of misappropriating public funds and complicity in the misappropriation of public funds.
“The court found that an organization had been set up to allow the European Parliament to cover the remuneration of parliamentary assistants for National Front (which became Rassemblement National) MEPs, whereas their activities had no connection with the mandate of their MEP and they were actually working for the national political party,” a press release from the Paris Court of Appeals read.
French President Emmanuel Macron holds a press conference on July 10, 2025, in London, England. (Leon Neal)
The release claimed the defendants misappropriated €2.8 million, which the court ordered them to pay back in restitution.
Le Pen, for her part, admitted that some staff paid as EU staffers were relegated to domestic French work, but she claimed it was simply a mistake and not, as alleged, part of a scheme to divert E.U. funds to her National Rally party.
National Rally President Jordan Bardella and Marine Le Pen hug as they attend a party event in Lievin, northern France on July 4, 2026. (Simon Wohlfahrt/AFP via Getty Images)
Le Pen, according to The Associated Press, immediately went from the courthouse to National Rally headquarters to strategize the party’s future plans. She is expected to address the country in a news conference or interview Tuesday night.
Her legal team at the courthouse said, “We are considering the decision as a whole. We will issue a further statement. We are partially satisfied,” according to Reuters.
INC News contacted representatives for National Rally and the Paris appeals court for further comment.
