French court clears way for far-right leader Le Pen to run in 2027—under a condition she rejects

Marine Le Pen can technically run in France’s 2027 presidential election after a Paris court ruling adjusted the sentence she received for embezzlement, but the court also imposed conditions she said she would not accept, leaving her political plans uncertain.

Reporting said the appeals court upheld Le Pen’s embezzlement conviction while reducing the length of the ban on holding public office. The revised ineligibility period would be shortened to roughly 15 months. Under that timeline, she would be eligible to stand “in theory” for the presidential election scheduled for April 2027.

However, the decision includes a further requirement that she wear an electronic monitoring device for an additional year. Le Pen said that such restrictions would prevent her from running effectively, arguing that a presidential candidate needs “total freedom of movement” and that she would have to request permission repeatedly to attend meetings or events.

Her stance raises the likelihood of a potential next step—either legal maneuvering or a political pivot—depending on whether she is willing to comply with the monitoring terms or whether she will instead hand the candidacy to her party’s preferred alternative.