Marine Le Pen Launches French Presidential Campaign Despite Fraud Conviction

Marine Le Pen, leader of France's far-right National Rally party, officially launched her presidential campaign on Wednesday, just one day after a Paris court rejected her appeal against a fraud conviction. The court upheld her one-year prison sentence, to be served under house arrest with an electronic bracelet, but allowed her to run in the 2027 presidential election. Le Pen announced she would appeal to the French Supreme Court, which has suspended her sentence pending a final ruling expected by early April 2027, shortly before the first round of voting on April 18.

Le Pen held her campaign launch in the small town of Le Plessis in the Loire Valley, a former left-wing stronghold that recently elected a 25-year-old mayor from her party. Supporters greeted her with cheers and selfies, while opponents shouted accusations of theft and called for her imprisonment. Despite her conviction related to misuse of European Parliament funds between 2004 and 2016, Le Pen insists she is innocent and claims the case is politically motivated to block her presidency.

Her campaign slogan, "Renaissance for France," emphasizes sovereignty, law, security, and education reforms. Le Pen also announced she would run alongside her protégé Jordan Bardella, 30, as a joint ticket, promising to appoint him prime minister if elected. This unusual move aims to attract both her traditional base and younger voters.

Polls show Le Pen leading potential rivals in the second round by significant margins, including former Prime Ministers Edouard Philippe and Gabriel Attal, and far-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon. However, public opinion remains divided, with some polls indicating a majority disapproves of her candidacy due to her conviction. Critics from across the political spectrum have condemned her decision to run, calling it unacceptable for a convicted politician to seek the presidency.

Le Pen, 57, has transformed the National Rally into France's largest political force on the right but remains ostracized by moderate and left-wing parties. The 2027 election will mark her fourth attempt to win the presidency, with her legal troubles casting uncertainty over her campaign's final stages.