Marine Le Pen, leader of France's hard-right National Rally party, has declared she will run for the presidency in 2027, ending months of speculation about her candidacy.
Le Pen announced her intention to run and confirmed she would appeal a recent conviction for misusing European Union funds. A Paris appeal court found her guilty of misusing €2.8 million in EU funds in a fake jobs scheme. The conviction requires her to wear an electronic tag for a year, a condition she stated would prevent her from campaigning effectively. She plans to take the case to France's highest civil court, the Court of Cassation, to defend her innocence.
The court's ruling allowed her to stand for the presidency while wearing the tag. Le Pen's announcement puts an end to speculation that the party's leadership might pass to 30-year-old party president Jordan Bardella for the 2027 election.