French nationally oriented politician Marine Le Pen has appealed against a Paris court verdict that found her guilty of embezzling European Parliament funds and effectively barred her from running in the 2027 presidential election, French media reported on Friday.
Twelve defendants in the European Parliament embezzlement case, including Le Pen as well as her National Rally party, appealed the verdicts.
The appeal was filed before midnight on April 10, when the deadline expired. This means that half of the defendants accepted the verdict without appeal.
On April 1, the French authorities launched a new investigation against Marine Le Pen because of threats against judges. As the AFP news agency specified, the matter concerns the judges of the criminal court in Paris, who sentenced the politician to imprisonment and a ban on participation in elections in the case of embezzlement of European Parliament funds.
On March 31, the court in Paris found Le Pen guilty of embezzlement of European Parliament funds in the case of creating fictitious jobs, sentencing her to four years in prison, two of which – suspended, and the remaining two years – house arrest with wearing an electronic bracelet. In addition, she was also ineligible to run in the 2027 presidential election.
Meanwhile, the Paris Court of Appeal has already said the judgement will be handed down in the summer of 2026, giving Le Pen a chance to run if the verdict is overturned or modified.
