Le Pen announces French presidential run despite conviction

Marine Le Pen has declared she will run for the French presidency next year, pressing ahead despite her criminal conviction for embezzlement of EU funds. The far-right leader is framing herself as a victim of a politicised judiciary — a strategy that may energise her base even as broader French public opinion remains sceptical. The election is set for 2027, and Le Pen has previously come within striking distance of the Élysée twice.