France's far-right figurehead Marine Le Pen appeared in a Paris courtroom on Tuesday as judges began hearing her appeal against a conviction that could bring her presidential ambitions to an abrupt end.
The 57-year-old National Rally (RN) leader is seeking to overturn a ruling delivered in March 2025 that found her guilty of misusing European Parliament funds.
The court handed down a five-year ban on holding public office with immediate effect, alongside a sentence of four years in prison — two of which are suspended — and a €100,000 fine.
Le Pen arrived at the courthouse without speaking to reporters. The hearing opened in a packed courtroom, with journalists and members of the public in attendance, and is scheduled to run until 12 February. A verdict is expected before the summer.
Until last year's conviction, Le Pen had been widely seen as a leading contender to succeed current President Emmanuel Macron, who is barred from seeking a third term.
At the heart of the case are accusations that RN officials used EU funds allocated for parliamentary assistants to finance party staff between 2004 and 2016, in breach of European rules.
Prosecutors argued that some assistants were primarily engaged in domestic political work rather than EU parliament duties.
Le Pen and her co-defendants have consistently denied wrongdoing. Addressing the court on Tuesday, she said her appeal focused on both the criminal and civil aspects of the case.
She argued there was no intent to commit an offence and accused the European Parliament of failing to raise concerns at the time.
"Nothing was hidden," she told the court, pointing to publicly available contracts, organisational charts and media coverage.
Her position was challenged by Patrick Maisonneuve, the lawyer representing the European Parliament, who rejected claims of inadequate oversight.
In total, 11 defendants, along with the National Rally party as a legal entity, have appealed their convictions and will be heard by the court.
Veteran party figure Bruno Gollnisch reiterated the long-standing defence line, arguing that EU parliamentary assistants were necessarily involved in national political activity and that "politics is a collective sport."
The political consequences of the appeal could be far-reaching. If Le Pen is ultimately barred from running in 2027, attention would shift to Jordan Bardella, the party's 30-year-old president.
Multiple polls already suggest Bardella may be more popular than Le Pen and capable of winning a presidential election in his own right.
Bardella has publicly rallied behind Le Pen. Speaking during his New Year address to the press on Monday, he pledged his "total support," warning that it would be "deeply worrying for democracy" if the courts prevented voters from choosing a candidate who has twice reached the second round of the presidential election in the past.
Marine Le Pen stepped aside as party leader in 2021 to focus on her presidential bid, handing control to Bardella.
