Marine Le Pen, leader of the National Rally party, declared her candidacy for the French presidency within hours of a court of appeal confirming her embezzlement conviction on a Tuesday, BBC News reported. The announcement ended months of speculation about whether she would seek the office.
The court ruled that Le Pen is permitted to run despite the guilty verdict. She was sentenced to wear an electronic monitor for one year, BBC News said. NPR described National Rally as a far-right party and noted the presidential election is scheduled for next year.
Le Pen also said she intends to bring her case before a top court, seeking to overturn the conviction entirely. BBC News described her as defiant following the ruling.
The campaign launch came within hours of the appeal court's decision. Le Pen's bid moves forward under the terms set by the court, with the electronic monitoring requirement in place and a further appeal pending.