France's far-right figurehead Marine Le Pen faces a decisive moment regarding her political future.
A Paris appeals court will rule on Tuesday on her bid to overturn a ban on holding elected office.
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The legal battle follows a lower court ruling last year that handed Le Pen a five-year ban from public office.
The court also issued a four-year prison sentence, with two years suspended, over allegations of embezzling European Parliament funds.
Possible Outcomes for Le Pen
Observers have outlined several possible outcomes. The best-case scenario, which most analysts deem the least likely, would be an acquittal.
Le Pen acknowledged a mistake during the appeal trial, noting that some staff paid as EU aides had worked in France, though she stated she believed such work was allowed.
Alternatively, the court could find her guilty but shorten the electoral ban to two years or less, or lift it entirely.
Because the lower court ordered the ban to take immediate effect, Le Pen has been serving it since March 31 last year.
A shortened ban of two years or less would expire before the first round of the presidential vote scheduled for April 18, 2027.
However, any jail term or electronic monitoring would still severely hinder her ability to campaign. The judicial decision holds massive significance for the political landscape in France.
The ruling will determine whether the far-right National Rally (RN) candidate to succeed President Emmanuel Macron will be Le Pen or her protege, Jordan Bardella.
