France’s highest administrative court has rejected an appeal by far-right leader Marine Le Pen, dealing a major setback to her efforts to remain eligible for the 2027 presidential race.
The Council of State announced its decision on Wednesday, confirming the immediate enforcement of Le Pen’s ineligibility sentence following her conviction earlier this year for misappropriation of public funds.
In March, the Paris Criminal Court found Le Pen and several members of her Rassemblement National party guilty of diverting European Parliament funds to pay party staff between 2004 and 2016.
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She received a four-year prison sentence – with two years suspended – a €100,000 fine, and a five-year ban from holding public office.
Unlike the prison sentence and fine, the ineligibility penalty took effect immediately, effectively barring her from standing in any upcoming elections, including the presidential contest scheduled for 2027. Le Pen has denied any wrongdoing and described the case as politically motivated.
Le Pen had argued that the Electoral Code’s automatic enforcement of ineligibility for crimes involving corruption, fraud, or misuse of public funds violated her political rights.
She asked the court to overturn the then Prime Minister François Bayrou’s refusal to repeal the relevant legal provisions.
The Council of State dismissed her challenge, stating that the appeal sought “to amend the law, which exceeds the Prime Minister’s powers.”
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It also ruled that the contested articles either did not exist or were unrelated to the execution of ineligibility penalties, and therefore refused to refer the matter to the Constitutional Council.
Le Pen has already appealed her criminal conviction, with a trial scheduled between 13 January and 12 February. The Court of Appeal is expected to deliver its ruling before summer 2025, well ahead of the presidential campaign. If acquitted, she could regain her eligibility to run.
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If the conviction stands and she chooses to pursue a presidential campaign regardless, the Constitutional Council – France’s top authority on national elections – would have the final say on the validity of her candidacy.
The ruling casts significant doubt for Le Pen, who finished second in the last three presidential elections and remains a leading contender in opinion polls for 2027.
(with newswires)
