France’s Far-Right Leader Said She Will Run For President Despite A Court Ordering Her To Wear An Ankle Tag
Le Pen is appealing her one-year electronic ankle tag sentence to France's highest court, claiming it hinders her campaigning.
French far-right leader Marine Le Pen has announced she will run for the French presidency in 2027 despite being found guilty of corruption.
57-year-old Le Pen, who is a member of the far-right National Rally (RN) party, and the dominant far-right figure in France for over a decade.
She has run for the French presidency three times, losing twice to Emmanuel Macron, but has steadily grown the number of voters each election and was considered a strong contender for the 2027 presidential election.
On March 31, 2025, a French court found her guilty of embezzling EU funds, accusing her of using more than 4 million euros (US$4.3 million) to pay her party’s staff.
The court banned her from running for office for five years and sentenced her to a four-year prison sentence, with two years under house arrest and two years suspended.
Le Pen appealed the decision.
On Tuesday, July 7, a French appeals court upheld her guilty verdict but reduced her prison sentence to three years, with two years suspended, and ordered her to wear an electronic ankle tag for one year.
It also reduced her ban on holding public office to 45 months, 15 months of which have already been served, making her eligible to run in the 2027 elections.
Hours later, Le Pen told broadcaster TF1 she was running for president in 2027, alongside her deputy, Jordan Bardella, who she said would become prime minister if she wins.
She said her campaign would “begin the rebirth of France”, according to the BBC.
She had previously run a campaign promoting economic nationalism, advocating for laws prioritizing national industries, while also supporting stricter immigration laws.
Le Pen is now appealing to France's Court of Cassation, the country's highest court for criminal cases, the requirement to wear an electronic ankle tag for one year, saying it will hinder her ability to campaign.
She argued that doing so would suspend the requirement that she wear the ankle tag while she campaigns.
Sofia Hou
Cherry Mohamed
