A French court of appeal has upheld Marine Le Pen's conviction for embezzling European Parliament funds but shortened her ban on running for elected office.
The decision potentially reopens a narrow path for the far-right leader to compete in the 2027 presidential race.
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The court handed Le Pen a three-year jail term, with two years suspended and one year requiring an electronic ankle tag.
This custodial sentence could make a presidential campaign politically and logistically difficult for the head of the anti-immigration National Rally (RN) party.
Le Pen previously suggested she would not run if handed an adjusted custodial sentence that restricted her movements or required an electronic tag.
“If I’m allowed to be a candidate but am effectively prevented from campaigning freely, then you understand that wouldn’t be possible,” Le Pen said in an interview last week.
Her exact position remained unclear immediately after the verdict, as a different judge will consider the precise workings of the electronic monitoring at a later date.
The far-right figurehead appeared in court alongside allies from her party’s parliament group and is expected to announce her decision regarding the presidency later on Tuesday.
The Paris court determined that Le Pen, 57, played a central role in orchestrating a fake-jobs scam to embezzle European Parliament funds between 2004 and 2016.
The illicitly acquired funds were funneled to pay her party in Paris during a scheme described by prosecutors as unprecedented in size and duration.
