A French appeals court on Tuesday upheld the embezzlement conviction of conservative former presidential candidate Marine Le Pen, but reduced her ban from holding elected office, effectively clearing her to run in France's 2027 presidential election. The decision is significant because it removes the legal barrier that had threatened to keep the National Rally leader off the ballot, though a requirement that she wear an ankle monitor and serve a year of house arrest casts doubt over whether she could realistically campaign.

Le Pen was originally found guilty in 2025 of using millions of dollars in EU funds to pay aides for domestic French political work, and was sentenced to five years in prison — two suspended and three under house arrest — plus a five-year ban on standing for office. On appeal, the sentence was cut to three years with two suspended and one year of house arrest, and the ban was shortened to 45 months, 30 of them suspended. As the court dated the ban from her initial March 2025 sentencing, she is now eligible to stand immediately, though she has suggested a campaign conducted under house arrest would not be viable. Eleven associates were also convicted, and Le Pen continues to deny any wrongdoing.