French far-right leader Marine Le Pen’s appeal trial set to January ahead of presidential race

A Paris court has set dates for far-right leader Marine Le Pen's appeal trial, in a case that will determine whether the far-right leader can run for president in 2027 after being barred from office for embezzling EU funds.

The Paris court announced the hearings will run from 13 January to 12 February 2026.

Le Pen, leader of the National Rally (RN, formerly Front National or FN), is currently barred from holding office after being handed a five-year ineligibility sentence with immediate effect in the so-called National Front (FN) parliamentary assistants case's first trial earlier this year.

In March, the Paris criminal court convicted Le Pen of setting up, along with 24 former MEPs, a system that used European Parliament funds to pay her national party staff between 2004 and 2016. Judges ruled the scheme caused €3.2 million in losses to EU taxpayers.

Le Pen was sentenced to four years in prison, two of them which can be served with an ankle monitor, a €100,000 fine, and a five-year ineligibility that instantly disqualified her from electoral mandates. These convictions are frozen pending appeal.

At Monday’s hearing, lawyers for the far-right politician argued against the chosen timetable, warning the trial could overshadow France’s municipal elections set for March 2026.

For her part, Le Pen has vowed not to alter her defence, continuing to insist she is the target of political vendetta.

The appeal trial will unfold less than two years before the next French presidential election, where Le Pen is expected to run for the fourth time.

Unless the ruling is overturned, Le Pen will be forced to consider an alternative candidate such as Jordan Bardella, the 29-year-old leader of her party and MEP.

Beyond the presidential election, Le Pen would theoretically be unable to stand in snap parliamentary elections in the event of another dissolution of the National Assembly - an option that French President Emmanuel Macron has ruled out.