Key facts
- Marine Le Pen announced her candidacy for the 2027 French presidential election.
- She was convicted of embezzling €2.8m in EU funds by a Paris appeal court.
- Le Pen received a one-year sentence of house arrest with an electronic tag.
- She intends to appeal the conviction to the Court of Cassation.
- Le Pen stated she cannot campaign while wearing an electronic tag.
French far-right leader Marine Le Pen has announced her intention to run for the presidency in 2027, despite a recent conviction for embezzling European Union funds. The Paris Court of Appeals found her guilty of misusing €2.8m in EU funds through a fake jobs scheme, sentencing her to one year of house arrest with an electronic tag. Le Pen stated she will appeal the ruling to France's highest civil court, the Court of Cassation, asserting her innocence and her inability to campaign while under house arrest. Her announcement puts an end to speculation that she might cede the candidacy to Jordan Bardella, the 30-year-old president of her National Rally party. Le Pen expressed her determination to pursue all legal avenues to clear her name.