Marine Le Pen Remains Strong Despite Conviction

Published: 11 July 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online.
France’s political landscape has entered a new and uncertain chapter after far-right leader Marine Le Pen confirmed she will contest next year’s presidential election despite an upheld conviction for embezzlement. While the appeal court maintained that Le Pen played a central role in the misuse of European Parliament funds, its decision to shorten her ban from holding public office has reopened the door to another presidential campaign and reignited debate over the future of French politics.

Across France, reactions have been deeply divided. For supporters, the legal ruling has done little to weaken Le Pen’s appeal. For critics, her return to the race raises difficult questions about political accountability, democratic values and public trust in elected leaders.

Nowhere is that divide more visible than in Montargis, a picturesque town around 75 miles south of Paris, where voters offered contrasting views on Le Pen’s political future despite her legal troubles.

Known for its canals and often described as the “Venice of the Gâtinais,” Montargis has become one of many French towns that shifted toward the political right during recent local elections. The National Rally (RN) and its allies significantly expanded their local government presence this year, reflecting the party’s growing strength beyond its traditional support base.

Among Le Pen’s supporters is Jean-Antoine, a 76-year-old retired decorator who believes the court’s decision will have little impact on voters.

Speaking in the town centre, he argued that while Le Pen had been convicted, judges had acknowledged she did not personally enrich herself and that the funds benefited her political party instead. In his view, scandals involving politicians have become so common in France that many voters no longer regard them as decisive when casting their ballots.

Jean-Antoine, whose father fled the Spanish Civil War before joining the French Resistance during the Second World War, said immigration had become one of the country’s defining political issues and believed France needed political change after years of dissatisfaction with mainstream governments.

His opinion reflects a wider trend identified in recent opinion polls, which indicate that Le Pen remains among the strongest contenders for next year’s presidential election despite her legal difficulties.

The appeal court upheld her conviction over the misuse of more than €2.8 million in European Parliament funds through what judges described as a long-running fake jobs scheme that benefited the National Rally between 2004 and 2016.

Although the court maintained the guilty verdict, it significantly reduced the period during which Le Pen is barred from seeking elected office. The decision allows her to stand in next year’s presidential election while pursuing a further appeal before France’s highest court.

Under the sentence, Le Pen has also been ordered to wear an electronic ankle monitor for one year while observing a curfew at her residence. However, her legal team argues that further judicial proceedings could suspend aspects of the sentence during the election campaign.

The ruling has transformed what initially appeared to be the end of Le Pen’s presidential ambitions into an unexpected political comeback.

She previously reached the second round of France’s presidential elections in both 2017 and 2022 but was defeated on each occasion by Emmanuel Macron. With Macron constitutionally unable to seek another term, analysts believe next year’s contest could become the most competitive presidential race in decades.

Supporters argue that Le Pen’s campaign continues to benefit from widespread public frustration over immigration, rising living costs, pressure on healthcare services and concerns about crime.

An antiques dealer in Montargis said many voters viewed the legal proceedings against Le Pen as politically motivated, suggesting that left-wing politicians would not have faced similar treatment. He argued that growing public dissatisfaction with France’s political establishment outweighed concerns over the conviction itself.

Montargis has experienced many of the social tensions that have shaped recent French politics. The town witnessed demonstrations during the “Yellow Vest” protests in 2018 and 2019 and was later affected by nationwide unrest following the police shooting of teenager Nahel Merzouk in 2023.

These events have contributed to growing support for the National Rally in areas where voters increasingly express concern over public security, immigration and economic uncertainty.

Le Pen has spent more than fifteen years attempting to broaden her party’s appeal by distancing it from the controversial legacy of her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, who co-founded the National Front in 1972. Under her leadership, the party was renamed National Rally as part of an effort to attract mainstream conservative voters while maintaining its firm stance on immigration and national identity.

Despite this rebranding, critics continue to accuse the party of promoting policies that deepen social divisions and marginalise minority communities.

Not everyone in Montargis believes Le Pen’s conviction will be politically irrelevant.

Gisèle, an 84-year-old retired gymnastics coach, welcomed Le Pen’s decision to stand but questioned whether French voters would ultimately elect a president with a criminal conviction. While sharing many of the National Rally’s concerns about crime and public safety, she acknowledged that the legal case could still influence undecided voters.

Others expressed disappointment that National Rally president Jordan Bardella would no longer be the party’s presidential candidate.

The 30-year-old politician has attracted younger and more affluent conservative voters while broadening the party’s electoral appeal. Christiane, a local healthcare professional, said she admired Bardella’s connection with ordinary people and believed he represented a fresh political generation.

Centrist voters offered an entirely different perspective.

Céline, a pharmacist, argued that someone convicted of financial crimes should not seek the country’s highest elected office regardless of political affiliation. For many moderate voters, Le Pen’s legal troubles reinforce concerns about integrity and public confidence in democratic institutions.

Meanwhile, Selma, a mother of three whose grandfather fought for France during the Second World War, expressed concern that the increasingly polarised political atmosphere was encouraging more open expressions of racism and discrimination.

She described a recent incident in which she was subjected to racist verbal abuse in a public car park, saying she feared political divisions were becoming increasingly visible in everyday life.

Her concerns reflect broader debates within French society over immigration, national identity and social cohesion—issues expected to dominate the presidential campaign over the coming months.

As France moves closer to the election, Marine Le Pen’s return ensures that immigration, security, economic dissatisfaction and institutional trust will remain at the centre of national political debate. Whether her conviction ultimately weakens or strengthens her campaign may depend less on the courtroom than on whether voters continue to view her as the candidate most capable of delivering the political change many now seek.