France Court Shortens Le Pen Ban Before 2027 Vote
A Paris court found Marine Le Pen guilty of misusing public money on Tuesday. Le Pen leads France's National Rally party.
The court reduced her ban on holding elected office. The original ban was five years.
The new ban is 45 months with 15 months to be served. Le Pen has already served those 15 months.
So she is now able to run in the April 2027 presidential election. The case involved €4.1 million in European Parliament funds.
The money paid National Rally staff in France instead of parliamentary assistants. But the court also ordered Le Pen to wear an electronic ankle tag.
Le Pen has said running for president while wearing an ankle tag is "not possible." So her 2027 run depends on her changing that view. If she does not run then Jordan Bardella is likely to be the far-right candidate instead.
Key Terms 5
- embezzlement Illegally using money that belongs to someone else
- appeals court A higher court that can change an earlier court's decision
- National Rally France's main far-right political party led by Le Pen
- electronic ankle tag A device worn on the ankle to track a person's location
- Jordan Bardella Le Pen's close ally and likely replacement as far-right candidate