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2w ago

Le Pen Opens Appeal With Surprise Concession, Putting 2027 Bid on the Line

Her unexpected claim of lack of intent signals a shift to a measured legal approach focused on softening a five-year ban that will decide the National Rally’s 2027 torchbearer.

Far-right leader Marine Le Pen arrives at National Rally president Jordan Bardella's New Year address to the press, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026 in Paris. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
Far-right leader Marine Le Pen, center, is framed by Louis Aliot, left, and conservative lawmaker Eric Ciotti during National Rally president Jordan Bardella's New Year address to the press, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026 in Paris. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
The president of the National Rally party, Marine Le Pen, attends the National Assembly, the lower house of the French Parliament, on Dec. 23, 2025. (Adnan Farzat/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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Overview

  • An appeals trial opened in Paris on Tuesday and is slated to run about five weeks, with judges expected to rule before summer.
  • Le Pen told the court any offense was not intentional, marking a sharp turn from her earlier claims of a politically driven case as her team leans on technical objections and proportionality.
  • The March conviction found EU funds for parliamentary assistants were diverted to party work from 2004 to 2016, resulting in a five-year ban from office, two years of house arrest, a further two-year suspended term, and a €100,000 fine, with no personal enrichment found.
  • Outcomes range from acquittal to an upheld or even tougher sentence, and a reduced or deferred ban could still allow a 2027 run under France’s timelines.
  • If the ban stands, party president Jordan Bardella is poised to lead the ticket, buoyed by rising polls and an effort to project statesmanlike credentials, including recent criticism of U.S. moves on Greenland and Venezuela, as the National Rally holds the largest bloc in the lower house.