Marine Le Pen leads French 2027 presidential race after court ruling

France’s Paris Court of Appeal has reduced Marine Le Pen’s ineligibility period, allowing her to run in the 2027 presidential election despite a conviction for misusing EU parliamentary funds. The ruling limits her disqualification to 15 months, with the remaining time already expired, and permits a possible electronic ankle‑monitor for any remaining sentence.

New opinion polls show Le Pen as the clear front‑runner, garnering between 34 % and 36 % of votes in the first round – a three‑point rise since spring – and leading the second‑round simulations against all major rivals. She would beat centre‑right candidate Édouard Philippe (≈52 % vs 48 %) and far‑left candidate Jean‑Luc Mélenchon (≈68 % vs 32 %).

Within the National Rally, party president Jordan Bardella remains second‑in‑command, positioning himself for a potential premiership while yielding the presidential candidacy to Le Pen. The legal saga, the prospect of campaigning under electronic monitoring, and her strong poll numbers have sparked debate in France and across the EU, where her potential presidency could influence the future leadership of the European Central Bank and broader eurozone policy.