Marine Le Pen announced her candidacy for the 2027 French presidential election and appealed to the Supreme Court.

Marine Le Pen, leader of France's far-right, announces her presidential candidacy, triggering strong reactions across the French political landscape

¬ Facing challenges head-on: Marine Le Pen appeals to the Supreme Court to run in the 2027 presidential election

On Monday evening, during an interview on France Télévisions' prime-time news program at 8 PM, Marine Le Pen announced her candidacy for the 2027 French presidential election and declared her intention to appeal the court ruling issued earlier that day to the Supreme Court. Her announcement has sparked intense reactions within the French political arena.

According to a ruling announced by the Paris Court of Appeal after midday on Monday, Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Rally (RN), is permitted to run in the 2027 French presidential election. However, she was also sentenced to one year of imprisonment with electronic tagging. This means that if she decides to run in the 2027 presidential election, she would have to campaign while wearing an electronic ankle monitor.

Thus, Marine Le Pen is temporarily exempt from wearing the electronic tag during her presidential campaign activities. However, there remains a risk: if the Supreme Court delivers a verdict before the presidential election next year—declaring her guilty and mandating the use of the electronic ankle monitor—Marine Le Pen could be forced to campaign with the device even during the most intense phase of the race.

Political Reactions

Marine Le Pen’s declaration of her presidential candidacy has triggered strong reactions across the French political spectrum.

Édouard Philippe, former Prime Minister and 2027 presidential candidate, stated that it is “her own choice” for a convicted Marine Le Pen to run, and that she must provide “a clear explanation to the French electorate.” He added that given her past statements expressing disdain for those who break the law, running for office while convicted constitutes yet another contradiction of her own principles.

Another presidential contender, former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, remarked: “Everyone understands what’s happening; we now have a political figure who has been sentenced to prison twice choosing to run for president.” He questioned how Marine Le Pen could “assure the French people that she will uphold the law and rules.”

Laurent Bouzereau, leader of the far-left La France Insoumise party and a 2027 presidential candidate, asserted that these developments will have no impact on the 2027 presidential election. He emphasized: “I hope people can finally put an end to the National Rally.”

France – Whether Marine Le Pen has the right to run in the 2027 presidential election dominated headlines on July 7. In the evening news broadcast, Marine Le Pen appeared on private French television channel TF1 to announce two key developments: her appeal to the Supreme Court, and her decision to run in the 2027 presidential election.

Earlier that morning, public attention had focused on whether she would have to campaign while wearing an electronic ankle monitor. However, since Le Pen has appealed the verdict, her conviction has not yet become final, and the second-instance judgment has been suspended. Therefore, she is certainly not required to wear the device during her campaign.

Yet another question arises: when will the Supreme Court issue its ruling after accepting the case? According to AFP reports, this is essentially a gamble involving time.

The Supreme Court previously indicated that, if it takes up the case, it will deliver its verdict sometime around year-end, always ensuring it concludes before the presidential election. If Le Pen’s conviction is upheld, she may be compelled to wear an electronic ankle monitor early in 2027—just as the campaign enters its critical phase. Alternatively, Supreme Court justices might reconsider and delay their ruling altogether to avoid disrupting the electoral process, choosing instead to decide after voting has concluded. Thus, her decision to run is inherently risky.

During her interview on TF1, Marine Le Pen projected unwavering confidence. She told reporters that if elected, she would appoint her party colleague Jordan Bardella as Prime Minister. When asked how she would respond if the Supreme Court were to convict her again, Le Pen replied: “This will not happen.” Pressed further: “Didn’t you say the same thing before the second trial in 2025?”

Le Pen responded: “The voters will make the judgment!” According to polling data from April, support for her stood at around 30%, slightly below that for Bardella. Regardless of the perilous circumstances, Marine Le Pen—having taken over from her father—remains resolute in pursuing her dream of becoming president.

Marine Le Pen has previously contested the French presidency three times between 2012 and 2022. She failed to advance to the second round in 2012; reached the runoff in 2017 but lost to Macron; and returned to the second round in 2022, again losing to Macron. Yet, in her third presidential bid, she secured 23.15% of the vote—a significant step closer to the Élysée Palace.

Despite being found guilty twice by the courts on charges of misappropriating EU funds, she remains determined to press forward. On July 7, she told reporters: “Every French person faces trials in life—so do I and the National Rally. I believe in the voters. I believe they will make the right choice.”

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1870104519073802/

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