French court clears way for Marine Le Pen to run for president but orders her to wear electronic tag

Key Points:

• The Court of Appeal reduced Marine Le Pen's original five-year ineligibility sentence to 15 months already served, allowing her to legally run for president, but she must serve one year under electronic tagging, which she says would prevent her from campaigning effectively.
• Le Pen has indicated she will not run under these conditions, potentially handing the candidacy to her protégé Jordan Bardella, whose youth and inexperience could affect his prospects in the 2027 presidential election.
• The verdict has drawn close attention from European allies, who are concerned about the rise of Eurosceptic and nationalist candidates in France, with some hoping Bardella might be more moderate than Le Pen.
• The ruling may fuel narratives among European "disruptor" parties that the establishment uses the justice system to suppress popular political voices, a claim Le Pen's supporters echo.
• Le Pen and prosecutors have the option to appeal the verdict to France's highest court within 10 days, but such a process could delay her campaign and she has expressed reluctance to pursue it.