A French appeals court has ruled that far-right leader Marine Le Pen may stand in the 2027 presidential election, but only on the condition that she is acquitted at a retrial of the embezzlement charges that led to her conviction. The decision matters because Le Pen, a leading contender for the presidency, had earlier been barred from running after being found guilty of misusing European Union funds, a ban she has consistently contested. The ruling leaves her political future dependent on the outcome of the fresh trial rather than granting her an unconditional path back to the ballot.

Le Pen was originally convicted of embezzling EU parliamentary funds and handed a penalty that included a period of ineligibility for public office, effectively blocking her from the next presidential race. She rejects the condition attached to the court's latest decision, maintaining her innocence and framing the case as politically motivated. The situation keeps her candidacy in doubt ahead of 2027, as her eligibility now hinges on being cleared when the case is reheard.