Paris appeals court upholds Marine Le Pen's five-year ban from holding office
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Paris appeals court upholds Marine Le Pen's five-year ban from holding office
Paris appeals court to rule on far-right leader's 2027 election bid
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PARIS — Marine Le Pen’s political future hung in the balance on Tuesday as a Paris appeals court delivered a long-awaited verdict that could bar her from running in France’s 2027 presidential election. The ruling, announced at 13:30 local time, upheld her five-year ban from holding public office, effectively ending her presidential ambitions unless she successfully appeals to France’s highest court.
The Paris appeals court confirmed the March 2025 conviction that found Le Pen guilty of embezzling €2.9 million in European Parliament funds between 2004 and 2016. Prosecutors had argued that her party, the far-right Rassemblement National (RN), used EU funds to pay staff who worked primarily for the party rather than the Parliament. Le Pen, who has denied wrongdoing and called the case a “witch-hunt,” had appealed the ruling, insisting the funds were used in compliance with EU rules.
The immediate consequence of the verdict is the automatic enforcement of her electoral ban, which had been suspended pending the appeal. Le Pen, 57, has been ineligible to run for office since March 31, 2025, when the original sentence took effect. Her inability to stand in 2027 means the RN’s presidential bid will now likely fall to her protégé, Jordan Bardella, 30, who has been positioning himself as the party’s face for the next election cycle.
Bardella, who has led the RN in polls ahead of the 2027 vote, has indicated he is prepared to accept the consequences of the ruling. “I’m ready to take responsibility,” he told reporters on Monday. “The party will unite behind the candidate who can best represent our values.” The RN has consistently led in opinion polls, with Bardella viewed as a more moderate figure than Le Pen, though he remains committed to her hardline policies on immigration and EU sovereignty.
Le Pen’s legal team has 10 days to file an appeal to France’s Court of Cassation, the country’s highest court for appeals. Legal experts suggest her chances of overturning the ban are slim, given the severity of the charges and the court’s prior rulings. “The appeals court has reaffirmed the principle that misuse of public funds, especially at the European level, carries serious consequences,” said constitutional law professor Dominique Rousseau. “This sets a precedent that will be difficult to challenge.”
The ruling comes at a critical juncture for French politics, with President Emmanuel Macron constitutionally barred from seeking a third term. Polls suggest the RN is poised to advance to the second round of the presidential election, scheduled for April 18 and May 2, 2027. Without Le Pen as the candidate, the party risks losing its most recognizable figurehead, though Bardella’s rising popularity could mitigate the impact.
Le Pen, who has run for president three times—finishing third in 2012 and losing to Macron in the 2017 and 2022 runoffs—has vowed to continue her political career regardless of the outcome. “I will not be silenced,” she told supporters in a video message on Monday. “The fight for France’s future continues.” However, her allies privately acknowledge the severity of the setback. “This is a personal tragedy for her, but also a strategic blow to the RN,” said RN lawmaker Thomas Ménagé. “Bardella will have to prove he can carry the torch.”
The verdict also raises questions about the RN’s internal dynamics. Le Pen has long been the party’s dominant figure, and her absence could trigger a power struggle. Some within the RN have quietly questioned Bardella’s ability to unite the party’s factions, particularly the more radical elements that remain loyal to Le Pen’s vision.
For now, France’s political landscape is in flux. The RN’s polling lead suggests that even without Le Pen, the party remains a formidable force. But the loss of its most experienced leader could reshape the 2027 election in unpredictable ways. As the court’s decision reverberates across Europe, one thing is clear: the far-right’s path to power in France has become far more complicated.
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Articles
Marine Le Pens 2027 bid for French presidency is at stake in Paris court ruling
news.yahoo.com · about 2 hours ago
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politico.eu · about 2 hours ago
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politico.eu · about 2 hours ago
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politico.eu · about 2 hours ago
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welt.de · about 2 hours ago
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gdelt bot · about 2 hours ago
Bardella ready to accept Le Pen trial consequences Jordan Bardella is ready to accept the consequences of a court ruling regarding Marine Le Pens ability to run in the 2027 French presidential election. If Le Pen loses her appeal, Bardella is prepared to run as the presidential candidate for the National Samling (National Rally) party instead. Le Pen was sentenced to a five-year […]
cphpost · about 2 hours ago
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axios · about 2 hours ago
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le monde · about 3 hours ago
I dag faller bedrageridommen som kan avgjøre Le Pens framtid En fransk ankedomstol kommer i dag med sin avgjørelse om Marine Le Pen kan stille i neste års presidentvalg.
aftenposten · about 3 hours ago
French court to rule on Le Pens appeal with election bid at stake
news.yahoo.com · about 3 hours ago
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independent · about 3 hours ago
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gdelt bot · about 3 hours ago
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politico.eu · about 3 hours ago
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welt.de · about 3 hours ago
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orf.at · about 3 hours ago
The verdict that could shake up French politics Europe is on the edge of its seat as it awaits a crucial verdict in the case of Frances National Rally leader, Marine Le Pen, today. If the Paris appeals court upholds her five-year ban on holding public office, Le Pens dream of running in 2027 will be dashed, and the campaign of her 30-year-old protégé, Jordan […]
politico.eu · about 3 hours ago
A Long-Awaited Verdict for Marine Le Pen Could Reshape Frances Politics A court will decide on Tuesday whether to uphold Ms. Le Pens embezzlement conviction. If it does, the far-right leader will probably be barred from running for the presidency next year.
new york times · about 3 hours ago
Jordan Bardella, Frankreichs radikaler Schwiegersohn der Nation [premium] Der erst 30-jährige will Frankreichs nächster Präsident werden. Nicht nur junge Wähler schätzen den RN-Chef. Er wirbt mit einem Programm, das selbst Chefin Le Pen zu weit geht – die auch nicht gerne im Schatten ihres Zöglings steht.
die presse · about 3 hours ago
How Paris ruling could upend Marine Le Pen 2027 presidential bid
gdelt bot · about 4 hours ago
Urteil kommt - Kann Le Pen 2027 Präsidentin werden ? - Politik - Nachrichten - Reutlinger General - Anzeiger
gdelt bot · about 4 hours ago
Nu avgörs det: Kan Le Pen bli presidentkandidat? Får ytterhögerprofilen Marine Le Pen ställa upp i Frankrikes presidentval – eller öppnas dörren för hennes kronprins Jordan Bardella?Oavsett dagens domarbeslut väntas en av dem bli favorit i valet 2027.
svenska dagbladet · about 4 hours ago
«La seule chose qui lintéresse, cest la formule, limage» : autour de Jordan Bardella, il y a comme un doute Alors que le RN sera fixé, ce mardi, sur le sort de Marine Le Pen et devra éventuellement envisager une candidature de Bardella, ses concurrents ciblent le jeune patron de parti, dépeignant un homme politique fragile. En interne, certains sinquiètent de sa capacité à gérer les imprévus dune campagne.
liberation · about 4 hours ago
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courrier international · about 4 hours ago
Frankreich: Urteil kommt - Kann Le Pen 2027 Präsidentin werden? Es ist ein folgenschweres Urteil, das in Paris erwartet wird. Für die Rechtsnationale Le Pen geht es letztlich um den Traum, Präsidentin zu werden. Das Gericht könnte dem einen Riegel vorschieben.
tagesspiegel · about 4 hours ago
Marine Le Pen riscă excluderea din cursa pentru președinția Franței. Ce șanse are protejatul său să obțină susținerea dreptei franceze În timp ce lidera partidului Adunarea Națională așteaptă verdictul în apel care va stabili dacă poate candida la președinție, Jordan Bardella este un înlocuitor popular. Marine Le Pen a intensificat presiunea asupra judecătorilor care se pregătesc să pronunțe o hotărâre crucială, care va stabili dacă politiciana poate candida la președinția Franței, scrie The Times.
digi24 · about 5 hours ago
Justiça da França define nesta terça se Marine Le Pen poderá disputar eleio presidencial
gdelt bot · about 6 hours ago
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