Marine Le Pen to run for French presidency and appeal conviction in top court
French far-right leader Marine Le Pen says she will run for president in 2027 and appeal to the country’s highest court against an embezzlement conviction that requires her to wear an electronic tag for a year.
“I can’t campaign with a label,” he told French television. “I want to pursue all legal means to defend my innocence in this case.”
Hours earlier, the Paris appeal court found him guilty of misusing €2.8 million (£2.4 million) in EU funds in a fake business plan, but ruled he could run for president by wearing a label.
He will now take the case to the Supreme Court, France’s highest civil court.
The decision ends months of speculation that Le Pen would hand over her candidacy to Jordan Bardella, the 30-year-old head of the National Rally party.
When asked if there was a scenario in which he might not run, he replied: “No, there is not. I am here tonight to tell you that I am running for the 2027 elections.”
This breaking news is being updated and more details will be released shortly. Please refresh the page for the full version.
You can get Breaking News from your smartphone or tablet. BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X, external To get the latest alerts.
