Watch: Marine Le Pen confirms run for French presidency

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."