French Court Reduces Le Pen's Ban, Allows Presidential Run Under Ankle Tag
A Paris appeals court has reduced the sentence against French politician Marine Le Pen, clearing her to run for president but requiring her to wear an electronic ankle tag. The decision, announced on Tuesday (July 7, 2026), partially overturns a lower court ruling that had imposed a five-year ban from public office for her role in a scheme to misuse European Parliament funds.
Le Pen, 57, was found guilty of overseeing a system from 2004 to 2016 where European Parliament money was used to pay staff of her National Rally (RN) party in France. The appeals court imposed a 15-month ban from office—expected to expire this year—and a one-year sentence to be served with an electronic tag. The original sentence had threatened her chances of succeeding centrist President Emmanuel Macron in elections scheduled for April and May 2027.
Le Pen has not yet confirmed her candidacy, stating that the ankle tag could hinder campaigning. 'When you're a presidential candidate, you need to be completely free to move around,' she said in a recent television interview. 'I can't depend on a magistrate to allow me to go to a rally.' She may pass the candidacy to party leader Jordan Bardella, 30, and is expected to announce her decision later.
Her lawyer, Rodolphe Bosselut, expressed partial satisfaction, noting a 'considerable shift' in the sentence, particularly regarding the ban from office. Le Pen has consistently denied wrongdoing, calling the case a political witch hunt. Prosecutors alleged that after she took over the RN in 2011, she professionalised a system initially started by her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen.
Opinion polls remain divided. A May 2026 Harris Interactive Toluna survey suggested Le Pen could win a runoff against left-wing candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon or centrists Gabriel Attal and Edouard Philippe. However, other polls indicate Philippe might defeat the far right in a second round. Bardella, if nominated, also shows competitive numbers.
The case has drawn attention to the far right's rising electoral strength, with Le Pen's party leading in first-round projections. The court's decision leaves her political future uncertain but keeps the possibility of a fourth presidential bid alive.
