Marine Le Pen, the leader of the far-right National Rally party, remains the frontrunner in the French presidential election, according to a recent poll, despite a recent appeal court decision upholding her conviction for embezzling millions from the European Parliament. The conviction, initially made in March of the previous year, found that Le Pen had used European Parliament funds to pay her own party employees between 2004 and 2016.
An Elabe poll for French outlets BFM TV and La Tribune Dimanche suggests Le Pen would secure 34 percent of the vote in the first round of next year's election, comfortably advancing to a second-round run-off. Her nearest rivals are polling between 14 and 16 percent. The poll also indicates Le Pen would win a head-to-head contest against far-left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon with over 67 percent support. Edouard Philippe, a centrist and former prime minister under President Emmanuel Macron, would reportedly win 48 percent of the vote and lose in a run-off against Le Pen.
Following the court's decision last week, Le Pen, 57, stated she would continue her bid for the presidency and plans to appeal the latest judgment to France's highest court. "The campaign begins tonight," she told French television, adding that she would "pursue all legal avenues" to contest the embezzlement conviction. She was initially handed a four-year jail sentence, with two years suspended and two to be served at home under electronic surveillance. The appeal court's ruling affirmed her guilt in misusing €2.8 million (£2.4 million) in EU funds but stated she could stand for the presidency while wearing a tag. This order is currently suspended pending a final verdict, expected early next year, around the time of the presidential election in April and a potential run-off in May.
Speculation had arisen that Le Pen might cede the National Rally candidacy to the party's 30-year-old president, Jordan Bardella, if her appeal was unsuccessful. Bardella has expressed his "absolute" support for Le Pen. Marine Tondelier, leader of the French Greens, commented that in a "normal world" with "even the slightest shred of morality," Le Pen would withdraw from the race, arguing that one cannot "decently stand for election after having been convicted in this way for misappropriating public funds."