French far-right leader Marine Le Pen launched her presidential campaign in western France, a day after an appeals court confirmed her conviction for embezzling EU funds but shortened her ban on running for office.

Le Pen’s Campaign Launch

Le Pen, who has already run for president three times, was greeted by cheers and boos as she launched her campaign in the small town of La Fleche in the Loire Valley. Some jeered “Give the money back!” and “Go to jail!” while others chanted “Marine, President!”

The Paris appeals court on Tuesday upheld Le Pen’s March 2025 conviction for misusing European Parliament funds to pay party staff. However, the court shortened her ban on running for office, allowing her to proceed with her campaign.

Electronic Ankle Tag Averted

The appeals court ordered Le Pen to wear an electronic ankle tag for a year, but she announced a final appeal to France’s highest court, which put the order on hold. Le Pen now says that if she becomes president, Jordan Bardella, her 30-year-old protégé, will be her prime minister.

Le Pen appears to be betting that French voters will overlook her legal woes and focus on her pledge to boost France’s sovereignty. Her campaign website features a picture of her on stage with the slogan: “For France, Revival.”

Le Pen told reporters that this meant “the revival of education, the revival of the justice system, the revival of security for our fellow citizens, the revival of control over our borders, and the revival of our sovereignty.”

Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.