French far-right leader Marine Le Pen appeared before judges in Paris this week in a pivotal appeal trial that could determine whether she is allowed to run in the 2027 presidential election, after being barred from public office over a conviction tied to the misuse of European Union funds.
Le Pen, the longtime figurehead of the National Rally (RN), is seeking to overturn a ruling that imposed an immediate five-year ban from holding public office, following a guilty verdict last year in a case involving millions of euros in EU parliamentary funds.
The outcome is being closely watched across France’s political landscape, as it could reshape the far-right’s prospects in the next national vote.
Judges previously found Le Pen and several associates guilty of diverting more than 4 million euros ($4.7 million) in EU money intended for European Parliament work to instead pay staff who were operating for her party in France.
According to the court, the arrangement spanned from 2004 to 2016, blurring the line between parliamentary and party activities.
Le Pen has consistently rejected the accusations, arguing that there was no organized system within RN designed to misuse public funds.
Addressing the court on Tuesday, she formally denied the existence of any coordinated scheme. “I contest the idea that there was a kind of system,” she told the judges, according to Reuters.
During this week’s hearings, Le Pen adopted a more restrained and legalistic tone compared to earlier stages of the case, focusing on technical arguments rather than directly challenging the legitimacy of the prosecution.
Responding to questions from Judge Michèle Agi, Le Pen acknowledged that internal operations within the party had flaws, but maintained that staff members were genuinely working. “The way things were functioning wasn’t ideal — I’m aware of that,” she said, adding that “all those people were working.”
She also suggested that responsibility for the party’s internal structure before 2014 largely rested with her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, the party’s founder, who remained influential until she assumed full control. Jean-Marie Le Pen, known for his extreme rhetoric, died in 2024 at the age of 96.
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The appeal trial, which runs until February 12, is expected to produce a ruling before the summer. If the court revokes or significantly reduces the ban, Le Pen would be free to contest the presidency in 2027 — a race she has already contested three times.
If the ban stands, attention is likely to shift to Jordan Bardella, the RN’s 30-year-old party president and Le Pen’s protégé, who is widely seen as her political heir.
Meanwhile, Le Pen continues to deny any wrongdoing and remains one of the most recognizable figures in French politics, despite ongoing legal pressure.