Marine Le Pen, leader of France's National Rally party, has confirmed she will stand in the 2027 French presidential election. The announcement matters because it comes just hours after a Paris appeal court upheld an embezzlement conviction against her, throwing her political future into question and setting the stage for a legal battle over her ability to campaign.

The appeal court found her guilty of misusing €2.8m (£2.4m) of EU funds in a fake jobs scheme and ordered her to wear an electronic tag for a year, though it ruled she could still stand for the presidency. Le Pen told French television she intended to appeal, arguing "I can't campaign with a tag" and vowing to "pursue all legal avenues to defend my innocence in this case."