Le Pen announces her candidacy for 2027 and seizes the Court of Cassation — Bompard speaks of double standards

Paris – 08.07.2026 : Marine Le Pen has officially announced her candidacy for the 2027 presidential election after part of the convictions in the case of allegedly diverted European funds was upheld. At the same time, the chair of the parliamentary group of the Rassemblement National indicated that she will file an appeal to the Court of Cassation against the decision of the Paris Court of Appeal. According to her statements, certain sanctions have no effect as long as the Court of Cassation has not ruled.

Legally, the situation is complex: the Court of Cassation examines only questions of law — for example procedural defects or the correct application of standards — and does not re-examine the facts. If the Court of Cassation annuls a judgment, it can refer the case to another chamber for a new hearing. Until then, some side effects can be suspended. Observers believe that such a remedy can last several months, which can influence the timing of the start of the campaign.

Politically, Le Pen’s announcement immediately provoked reactions. Manuel Bompard, coordinator of La France insoumise in the National Assembly, called it a “political signal” that increases the gap between legal defense and political responsibility. He accused Le Pen of strategically using the judicial route to limit the impact of the conviction on her campaign. On the side of the presidential majority, the independence of the judiciary was mainly emphasized, while supporters of the Rassemblement National interpret the decision as, in their view, proof of unfair treatment by the courts and the media.

The question of eligibility remains at the center of the debate. In France, a criminal conviction does not automatically preclude a presidential candidacy; the determining factor is the nature of the sentences handed down and their execution. Since the Court of Cassation does not re-examine the facts, the substance of the accusations remains present politically — even if some effects are provisionally suspended. For Le Pen’s circle, the appeal provides time to mobilize, while her opponents see in this procedure evidence of a lack of integrity.

Several steps will be decisive going forward: the formal admission of the appeal to the Court of Cassation, a possible decision by the public prosecutor on other remedies, as well as the position of the parties ahead of 2027. Regardless of the legal outcome, the debate over the management of public funds, the transparency of parties in Brussels and Paris and the limits of political responsibility returns to the heart of the internal battle. The case thus marks the early start of the presidential campaign — between legal scrutiny, image struggle and questions of trust toward political actors.