Lead

Marine Le Pen, leader of France's far-right National Rally (RN), saw her graft conviction upheld by an appeals court on Tuesday, but her sentence was reduced, potentially allowing her to run in the 2027 presidential election. The court shortened her ban from public office to 15 months and reduced her prison term to three years, with two years suspended and one year to be served with an electronic monitoring tag. Le Pen has consistently denied any wrongdoing and has announced plans to appeal the conviction to France's highest court, the Court of Cassation.

Coverage Comparison

Deutsche Welle reported that the appeals judge upheld Le Pen's 2025 conviction for misappropriating EU funds but lessened her sentence. The original sentence, handed down last year by a lower court, had included a five-year ban from public office and two years in prison. The reduced sentence means Le Pen could stand for election while wearing an electronic monitoring device.

France 24 — English, meanwhile, focused on a separate investigation by the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) into the use of EU funds by a now-defunct political group of the European Parliament. Searches were reported to be under way in France and other European countries as part of that probe. The EPPO said it was carrying out investigative measures as part of an ongoing investigation into the use of EU funds by a former political group between 2019 and 2024.

Key Claims

  • Marine Le Pen's graft conviction was upheld on appeal, but her ban from public office was reduced to 15 months and her prison sentence to three years, with two suspended, as reported by Deutsche Welle.
  • Le Pen was found guilty of misappropriating EU funds to pay alleged staffers for jobs that did not exist, according to Deutsche Welle's reporting.
  • Le Pen has consistently denied any wrongdoing, as reported by Deutsche Welle.
  • Le Pen intends to run for the presidency despite her conviction and will appeal to France's top court, the Court of Cassation, according to Deutsche Welle.
  • The EPPO is investigating the use of EU funds by a former European Parliament political group, and searches are under way in France and other European countries, as reported by France 24 — English.
  • Marine Le Pen may have to quit the presidential race if a Paris court upholds a five-year ban, a claim carried by France 24 — English, though the ban was later reduced on appeal.
  • The trial verdict will impact the 2027 presidential election, with Le Pen's party already moving on and Jordan Bardella developing his own popularity, as reported by France 24 — English.

Perspectives

Marine Le Pen: Le Pen has denied any wrongdoing and stated she considers herself "innocent." She has said she will pursue all legal avenues, including an appeal to the Court of Cassation, and intends to campaign despite the conviction.

Jordan Bardella and RN: Bardella, president of the RN and seen as a potential stand-in for Le Pen, has called the trials "politically motivated" and described the EPPO investigation as a "new harassment operation by the European Parliament."

European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO): The EPPO is conducting an investigation into the use of EU funds by a former parliamentary group, with searches in France and other European countries.

French media commentary: Press reviews quoted in France 24 — English's report indicate divergent views on the party's future, with some outlets suggesting the verdict no longer worries the party as Bardella's popularity has grown.