Le Pen launches presidential campaign after conviction, vows appeal

Marine Le Pen, president of the far-right Rassemblement National (RN) parliamentary group, hit the campaign trail Wednesday, the morning after announcing her bid for the French presidency. Her candidacy comes despite an embezzlement conviction handed down Tuesday by an appeals court over a fake jobs scam at the European Parliament.

“

The court has restored my eligibility. I am innocent, and I am filing an appeal to the Court of Cassation to prove my innocence.

The court imposed a one-year term with an ankle tag and a 15-month ban from holding office, a ban expected to have expired this year. Le Pen stated she would appeal the verdict to France's highest court, the Court of Cassation, to prove her innocence and avoid wearing an electronic tag during her campaign.

"The court has restored my eligibility. I am innocent, and I am filing an appeal to the Court of Cassation to prove my innocence," Le Pen said. "You have to take risks to win." The 57-year-old politician is seeking the presidency for a fourth time, with her anti-immigration party viewing this election as its best chance to gain power.

“

You have to take risks to win.

Le Pen dismissed concerns about the appeal's timing and criticism of her candidacy, aiming to focus the narrative on her policy proposals. "I’m not going to spend the presidential campaign giving you legal analyses," she told reporters. "If my political opponents have no other arguments than that, it means that on substance they have absolutely nothing to offer the French."

“

I’m not going to spend the presidential campaign giving you legal analyses.

While supporters greeted Le Pen in La Fleche, western France, she also encountered dozens of left-wing activists protesting her candidacy. She campaigned alongside her 30-year-old lieutenant, Jordan Bardella, who was considered a potential prime minister candidate if she wins. Bardella expressed delight at Le Pen's decision to run, stating they would "continue to work hand in hand."

“

If my political opponents have no other arguments than that, it means that on substance they have absolutely nothing to offer the French.