Patrick Balkany Seeks to Overturn Ineligibility to Run for Levallois-Perret Mayor in 2026

The former mayor, convicted of tax fraud, has petitioned the court to lift his 10-year ban from holding office, citing his desire to return to public service.

Patrick Balkany, ex-mayor of Levallois-Perret, has filed a legal request to annul his 10-year ineligibility sentence, imposed after his 2019 tax fraud conviction.
Balkany, 76, claims residents of Levallois-Perret frequently urge him to return and argues that retirement feels like 'the antechamber of death.'
He and his wife, Isabelle Balkany, were convicted of concealing €13 million in assets, including luxury properties in the Caribbean and Morocco, from tax authorities.
The French financial prosecutor's office is reviewing his request and will present its findings to a correctional tribunal, which will deliberate in a closed hearing.
If the court lifts his ineligibility, Balkany plans to run for a sixth term as mayor in the 2026 municipal elections, emphasizing his belief that voters, not judges, should decide who holds office.