Marine Le Pen has filed an appeal to France's highest court against her conviction for misappropriating EU funds, a move that clears her to campaign unhindered for the 2027 presidential election. The Court of Cassation plans to rule by early April 2027, just days before the first round of voting on 18 April.
An appellate court had overturned a first-instance ban on holding office, reducing the ineligibility period to 15 months — a term Le Pen has already served. A one-year sentence under electronic monitoring will not be enforced pending the final ruling. The conviction stems from the fraudulent employment of parliamentary assistants at the European Parliament between 2004 and 2016.
Le Pen leads opinion polls with more than 30 percent, placing her well ahead of rivals including left-wing candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon.