Overview
- The Paris Court of Appeal hears the case from January 13 to February 12, with Le Pen among twelve of the originally convicted defendants being retried alongside the RN party.
- In March 2025, Le Pen was convicted of diverting public funds and received four years in prison including two firm, a €100,000 fine, and five years of ineligibility with immediate effect.
- Prosecutors allege more than €3.2 million in European Parliament funds were diverted to the party between 2004 and 2016.
- Her legal team has shifted to technical arguments seeking to lift the provisional execution or reduce the ineligibility, which could restore her ability to run.
- The outcome carries major political stakes for the RN, which has publicly backed Le Pen while positioning Jordan Bardella as a contingency candidate, with a possible cassation appeal still on the table.