Marine Le Pen to start presidential campaign without electronic bracelet, prosecutor says

Marine Le Pen will launch her presidential campaign without an electronic monitoring bracelet, Paris's chief prosecutor announced Wednesday. Marie-Suzanne Le Quéau explained that Le Pen is presumed innocent until a final ruling, and an appeal to the Court of Cassation suspends the sentence.

Le Pen was sentenced Tuesday by the Paris Court of Appeal to three years in prison, with one year to be served under electronic surveillance. The conviction stems from a case involving the misuse of funds for parliamentary assistants at the European Parliament between 2004 and 2016, totaling 2.8 million euros. The court also reduced her ineligibility period to 15 months.

Despite the conviction, Le Pen announced her candidacy for the 2027 presidential election on TF1. Her appeal to the Court of Cassation means the sentence will not be executed while the case is pending. If the court rules before the election, she might have to wear the bracelet for the remainder of her campaign. Should she be elected president before a final decision, her presidential immunity would shield her during her term.