Le Pen Says Electronic Tag Ruling Would End 2027 Bid
Marine Le Pen said she will not stand in France’s 2027 presidential election if judges order her to wear an electronic tag when the Paris appeals court rules on Tuesday. “If I can be a candidate, I will be a candidate, provided that I am able to campaign,” she said. Her 2025 conviction for misusing €2.9m of European Parliament funds carries a five-year ban on public office, currently under appeal; her protégé Jordan Bardella, 30, would be likely to run in her place.
Tuesday’s verdict is a hinge for European politics: the National Rally has consistently polled strongly enough to reach the 2027 runoff, so the court is in effect deciding whether France’s far-right standard-bearer is on the ballot. Le Pen’s framing — “I can’t be dependent on a judge to authorise me to go hold a campaign rally” — previews the legitimacy argument her movement will run whatever the outcome. Bardella’s polish makes him a plausible substitute, but he is untested at presidential level. Watch the ruling on Tuesday and the reaction across French politics and markets.