A court ruling has allowed Le Pen to campaign despite embezzlement conviction, sparking heated debates across France. Published On 8 Jul 20268 Jul 2026Far-right leader Marine Le Pen has launched her presidential campaign in western France, the day after an appeals court enabled her to run despite confirming her conviction for embezzling European Union funds to pay party staff.The mood was mixed on Wednesday as she shook hands in the street market of the small town of La Fleche in the Loire Valley. Some jeered: “Give the money back!” and “Go to jail!”, while others chanted “Marine, president!” – a sign of the tensions that may lie ahead.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listLe Pen, who at 57 has already run for president three times and is leading opinion polls for next year’s election, has seized her opportunity for another attempt to become modern France’s first far-right president, hoping voters will overlook her legal woes.“The aim of our campaign is to bring about France’s revival,” she said in La Fleche, pledging to revive sovereignty, justice, security and education. Hours earlier, her team had launched a campaign website with a picture of her holding out her arms, with the slogan: “For France, Revival.”Le Pen said La Fleche, a longtime left-wing bastion that in March elected a 25-year-old mayor from her anti-immigrant National Rally (RN), was symbolic of the party’s growing reach. Asked repeatedly about Tuesday’s verdict, she sounded irritated and told reporters, “I’m not going to spend my whole campaign analysing legal matters.”Meanwhile, supporters clamoured for selfies, which she readily gave.“Marine, you’re the best!” said one.The appeals court ordered Le Pen to wear an electronic ankle tag for a year that would have required her to return home from the campaign trail every night. Her announcement of a final appeal to France’s highest court, the Cour de Cassation, had the effect of putting that order on hold. Advertisemen …
