A French appeals court on Tuesday upheld the embezzlement conviction of Marine Le Pen, a prominent figure in French far-right politics, ordering her to wear an electronic ankle tag for one year and suspending her from public office for 45 months. The ruling casts significant doubt on her ability to run for president in the upcoming election.
The court confirmed Le Pen's conviction for misusing European Union funds and handed down a three-year jail sentence, with two years suspended. In addition to the electronic tag, she was fined the equivalent of approximately €85,000 (£85,000).
Le Pen, 57, had been considered a strong contender to succeed Emmanuel Macron, who is term-limited and must step down next year. Prosecutors stated that Le Pen was the architect of a system that embezzled around €1.4 million (£1.2 million) from the European Parliament, funds intended for her party, then known as the National Front and now the National Rally. Le Pen has maintained that the issues stemmed from a "mistake" over a decade.
Her defense lawyers argued that part of the period of ineligibility had already been served. However, Le Pen has stated that campaigning with an electronic tag would impede her ability to hold rallies, as she would require permission for each event. This has led to expectations that she may hand over her presidential candidacy to Jordan Bardella, the 30-year-old current president of the National Rally.
Bardella has expressed unwavering support for Le Pen, stating that nothing justifies her exclusion from the public's choice. While he has previously indicated he was preparing to serve as her prime minister, the possibility of Le Pen withdrawing from the race could propel him into contention. Recent polls have shown both figures as strong potential candidates to reach a presidential runoff, with some surveys suggesting Bardella could outperform Le Pen in the initial round.
In March of the previous year, Le Pen was found guilty along with 24 others in the initial trial. Twelve of those convicted appealed the verdict on Tuesday, but their appeals were unsuccessful.
Le Pen had accused the judges and prosecutors of acting politically to thwart her presidential ambitions. The intense debate surrounding the trial led to death threats against the presiding judge, who then required police protection. Prosecutor Thierry Ramonatxo rejected these claims, asserting that the judiciary's role is to apply the law, not to obstruct political figures.
Le Pen is expected to address the French nation on television later on Tuesday.