Holger Schmieding said in a note the court shortened Marine Le Pen's ban on
holding public office, restoring her eligibility for France's 2027 presidential
election, but uncertainty remains over whether she will be the National Rally's
candidate. The court upheld her conviction for misappropriating EU funds and
ordered her to wear an electronic monitoring bracelet for one year. Le Pen has
suggested she might not run under those conditions; if she declines, protégé
Jordan Bardella — more popular with the public and less hardline on the EU —
could become the National Rally's candidate.