Here are four key questions surrounding Le Pen’s political resurgence and her upcoming presidential campaign.
What are the legal next steps?
A major challenge for Le Pen is to campaign without her movement being restricted by a court order. In principle, when an appeal decision is brought before the Cour de cassation, the sentence is suspended. By appealing Tuesday’s ruling, Le Pen can avoid campaigning while wearing an electronic ankle bracelet.
However, there is a complication: The president of the highest court has already indicated that the judges would aim to rule before the presidential election. If she loses the final appeal, she might have to wear a bracelet during the campaign’s final phase. Le Pen would then need to negotiate favorable conditions for her house arrest. Magistrates setting these conditions “could allow her a broad time frame [for campaign outings], but she must be home at night,” according to Eva Barouk, a criminal lawyer from Bordeaux.
How strong is she now as a candidate?
Le Pen stands on solid ground as a candidate. A June poll by the French institute Ifop showed her leading with 32 percent of the vote in the first election round.
Her 30-year-old protégé Bardella, who would step in as the National Rally’s nominee if she were barred from running, polls slightly higher, with 36 percent of the vote in the first round.
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