Marine Le Pen announces 2027 presidential bid after court reduces disqualification

Marine Le Pen announced on Tuesday her candidacy for the 2027 French presidential election, defying a court sentence that includes a year of electronic monitoring. The Paris Court of Appeal confirmed her conviction for embezzling European Parliament funds but reduced her ineligibility to 15 months, which she has already served, thus clearing the legal path to run Source: El Confidencial.

The ruling

Le Pen was sentenced to three years in prison, with two suspended, and a €100,000 fine. The court ordered one year under house arrest with an electronic bracelet, but she plans to appeal to the Court of Cassation, arguing that the appeal suspends the monitoring order Source: Milenio. The presiding judge highlighted the need to balance punishment with the "freedom of choice of the voter" Source: ABC.es.

Campaign strategy

In a televised interview on TF1, Le Pen stated she would campaign without the bracelet, asserting her innocence and calling on French voters to be the ultimate judges Source: La Voz de Galicia. She confirmed that Jordan Bardella, the party president, would serve as prime minister if she wins, forming a "binomio" Source: El Español. Polls show her party leading in voting intentions, though exact figures remain uncertain Source: El Confidencial.

Disagreements

While most sources agree she can legally run, some note the practical challenge of campaigning under electronic surveillance. Le Pen had earlier stated she would not run under such conditions, but her lawyer argued that a Supreme Court appeal would suspend the measure Source: Clarín. The court's reasoning that the disqualification already served suffices contrasts with the original first-instance sentence that sought immediate enforcement Source: Infobae.