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Marine Le Pen’s Appeal Opens in Paris, Putting 2027 Bid on the Line

A decision expected before summer will determine whether her five-year ineligibility is upheld.

French far-right leader and member of parliament Marine Le Pen, President of the French far-right National Rally (Rassemblement National - RN) party parliamentary group, and member of parliament Jean-Philippe Tanguy attend a debate following French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu's first general policy speech in front of the parliament and the new government at the National Assembly in Paris, France, October 14, 2025. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo
Jordan Bardella, president of the French far-right National Rally (Rassemblement National - RN) political party, and French far-right leader and member of parliament Marine Le Pen talk to journalists as they leave after a meeting with the French Prime Minister as part of a series of consultations with political parties, a week before a confidence vote he is seeking from the National Assembly on the budget issue, at the Hotel Matignon in Paris, France, September 2, 2025. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File Photo
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Overview

  • The Paris court opened the monthlong hearing Tuesday, with sessions scheduled through about February 12 and a ruling due before summer.
  • Le Pen is challenging a March 2025 conviction over the diversion of European Parliament assistant funds from 2004 to 2016 that brought a four-year sentence with two suspended, a €100,000 fine and an immediate five-year ban.
  • The National Rally and several party figures also appealed, and the first-instance judgment ordered roughly €3 million in damages to the European Parliament plus a €2 million fine for the party.
  • In court and earlier at the Assembly, Le Pen said she hopes to convince judges of her innocence, and she has previously indicated Jordan Bardella would run if she remains barred from 2027.
  • Reports of internal U.S. discussions about sanctioning French magistrates were publicly denied by a senior State Department official, highlighting the case’s international scrutiny.