France's Le Pen put under house arrest, presidential run in doubt

French far-right chief Marine Le Pen's political future remained uncertain Tuesday after a court sentenced her to a year under house arrest, potentially hampering a campaign for next year's presidential elections when her party has its strongest chance yet of winning power.

The Paris appeals court found Le Pen guilty over a fake jobs scam at the European Parliament but reduced her sentence, banning her from office for 15 months as well as sentencing her to one year to be served with an electronic tag.

Dating from March 2025, the ban is expected to have expired this year, clearing the way in principle for her to run in polls set for April and May next year, but she has said she may not run if the sentence prevents her from campaigning.

A lower court last year had sentenced Le Pen, 57, to a five-year ban from public office and a two-year sentence, threatening the three-time presidential candidate's hopes to replace outgoing centrist President Emmanuel Macron.

Under the ban, Le Pen, who arrived in court on Tuesday wearing a pale pink jacket, could hand the candidacy to her 30-year-old lieutenant, Jordan Bardella, leader of the National Rally (RN) party.

She is expected to announce her decision later Tuesday.

"I'm not scared," Le Pen said last week. "If I can run, I will -- as long as I can campaign."

Le Pen came third in the 2012 election, then twice made it to a runoff against Macron, in 2017 and 2022.

- 'Witch hunt' -

The first trial found Le Pen -- along with 24 former European lawmakers, assistants and accountants, as well as the anti-immigration party itself -- guilty of operating a system from 2004 to 2016 to use European Parliament funds to employ RN staff in France.

Le Pen claimed her party was the victim of a "witch hunt", and the judges received death threats.

Le Pen, the party and 10 others appealed.

During the appeal trial, she denied that the RN had a system to embezzle European Parliament funds, and has said her party acted in "complete good faith".

But prosecutors allege that after she took over the party leadership in 2011 she "professionalised" a system to divert EU funds that was first introduced haphazardly by her late father, party co-founder Jean-Marie Le Pen.

They had demanded the court maintain a five-year ban and sought a four-year term, with three years suspended.

- 'Very intelligent' -

Recent opinion polls have largely suggested the far right will lead in the first round of next year's vote, but are divided on the outcome of the second round.

Many have shown slightly better results for Bardella than Le Pen, but their adversaries have inferred the veteran politician would be a fiercer opponent.

"This woman is very intelligent, she's not here by chance. And if she does also run for a fourth time, she won't be an opponent we can sneer at," hard-left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon has said.

An opinion poll in May suggested Le Pen could win the runoffs next year if she is allowed to compete.

The Harris Interactive Toluna survey of more than 1,700 registered voters projected her winning, against Melenchon as well as centrist former prime ministers Gabriel Attal and Edouard Philippe.

Other polls have, however, suggested Philippe -- who is also courting right-wing voters -- could win a runoff against the far right.

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© Agence France-Presse