Le Pen verdict

Court to rule on Le Pen's future on July 7

The Paris appeals court will rule on the case of far-right leader Marine Le Pen on July 7, Le Monde reports.

After being convicted of embezzling EU funds, the National Rally leader was banned from holding public office for five years. She has appealed this.

If the decision is not overturned, she will not be able to run in next year's presidential election. She has previously opened up about letting Jordan Bardella, her 30-year-old protégé in the party, run for president in her place.

Le Pen verdict — that's the point

• Marine Le Pen was sentenced in March 2025 to four years in prison and a five-year ban from running for public office for fraud with EU funds.
• The ruling means that Le Pen cannot run in the 2027 presidential election, but she has appealed and a final decision is expected in the summer of 2026.
• Le Pen and several party colleagues in the National Rally were found to have used EU funds intended for assistants to pay party employees in France.
• The ruling has sparked strong reactions in France, with demonstrations, divided political reactions and death threats against the judges.
• If Le Pen is prevented from running, party leader Jordan Bardella is being pointed out as the likely presidential candidate for the National Rally.