A Paris appeal court will decide on Tuesday whether Marine Le Pen can run in the 2027 French presidential elections. The verdict concerns her previous conviction for embezzling €1.4m in European Parliament funds to pay National Rally employees between 2004 and 2016. Currently leading in polls, the 57-year-old leader faces a potential five-year ban from public office. If the court upholds the ban or imposes an electronic tag, Le Pen will be ineligible to stand. In such a scenario, her lieutenant, Jordan Bardella, would serve as the party's candidate. The decision is viewed as the starting pistol for the presidential race, which features a first round on 18 April 2027 and a run-off on 2 May. Le Pen has expressed that a restrictive sentence would hinder her ability to campaign effectively.