Hours after an appeals court lifted a ban on Marine Le Pen’s eligibility for the next presidential election while upholding her embezzlement conviction, France’s far-right leader announced plans to run in 2027 – possibly with an electronic ankle bracelet.“I am a candidate in the presidential election. I will not change my mind,” Le Pen told the TF1 television channel.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of listEurope’s right-wing forces had been watching closely as some had expected her to hand the reins to her protege, Jordan Bardella, who at 30 is 27 years younger than Le Pen, popular, and more savvy on social media.Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (RN) party opposes globalisation and immigration and seeks stricter border controls and fewer ecological policies. She is the daughter of the party’s founder and has run for president unsuccessfully three times.“It’s like Russian nesting dolls. Jordan Bardella is part of Marine Le Pen’s political doctrine, and he’s committed to her,” RN lawmaker Jean-Philippe Tanguy said on French TV channel BFM.In March 2025, Le Pen was convicted of embezzling European Union funds. The original ruling disqualified her from running for public office for five years, but the appeals court reduced the ban to 45 months with 30 months suspended. The ban started in March last year, so she has already served the 15 months.She is now planning to appeal to the Court of Cassation, which is the country’s top civil court. Marine Le Pen prepares for an interview on the French TV channel TF1 in Paris after an appeals court upheld her conviction over the misuse of EU funds but sh …
