Less than one day after having her eligibility to seek public office restored, France's hard right leader Marine Le Pen hit the campaign trail for next year's presidential elections by visiting a village market in La Fleche, southwest of Paris.

Mobbed by supporters who were keen to take selfies with her and her deputy Jordan Bardella, Le Pen brushed away legal questions as to whether she would have to campaign while wearing an electronic tag.

Le Pen was convicted last year of misusing more than four million euros of EU funds and banned her from seeking public office. An appeals court on Tuesday affirmed the guilt, but shortened the period of ineligibility - making it possible for her to run in the presidential elections in April and May next year.

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French far right leader Le Pen hits campaign trail following court verdict

VIDEO SHOWS: FRENCH FAR-RIGHT LEADER MARINE LE PEN AND PARTY LEADER JORDAN BARDELLA CAMPAIGNING AT FOOD MARKET / LE PEN TALKING ABOUT THE COURT RULING

SHOWS: LA FLECHE, FRANCE (JULY 8, 2026) (Reuters - Access all)

1. FRENCH FAR-RIGHT LEADER MARINE LE PEN SIGNING A BOOK SAYING (French) ‘Well you know I love to be in the field, so I'm delighted. Ah! I have to sign.

2. MARINE LE PEN IN A CROWD OF SUPPORTERS AND JOURNALISTS AT FRENCH TOWN MARKET

3. MARINE LE PEN TAKING A SELFIE WITH A SUPPORTER

4. (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH FAR-RIGHT LEADER, MARINE LE PEN, SAYING: “Jordan and I are here because we’re kicking off the presidential campaign. I’m not going to spend the presidential campaign giving you legal analyses. The court has restored my eligibility. The rest will follow, so to speak. What I want now is for us to talk about politics. Because the future of the French people is at stake. They’re waiting for answers to our everyday problems: purchasing power, insecurity, deindustrialization, and very low wages. That’s what they’re waiting for.”

5. NATIONAL RALLY PARTY LEADER JORDAN BARDELLA TAKING A SELFIE WITH A SUPPORTER

(SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH FAR-RIGHT LEADER, MARINE LE PEN, SAYING: “The Court of Appeals said, “I am granting voters their freedom to vote.” I expected nothing less. As for the rest, the French have been hearing about this case for ten years. I think they are well aware of all the ins and outs. I think they know full well that the charges against us in no way warrant a criminal conviction.”

6. MARINE LE PEN TAKING A SELFIE WITH A SUPPORTER

7. JORDAN BARDELLA GREETING A SUPPORTER AND TAKING A SELFIE

8. (SOUNDBITE) (French) NATIONAL RALLY PARTY LEADER, JORDAN BARDELLA, SAYING: “I am delighted that Marine will be able to represent our party and that the National Rally’s partial innocence has been recognized in the face of what appeared, at first instance, to be a highly political decision. So we are delighted about this, and we will, of course, continue to work hand in hand, just as we always have.“

9. MARINE LE PEN AND JORDAN BARDELLA TAKING A SELFIE TOGETHER WITH A SUPPORTER

10. MARINE LE PEN TAKING A SELFIE

11. (SOUNDBITE) (French) A LOCAL FROM LA FLECHE, SAYING: “I think we're still in the early stages, but everyone who doesn't like her or is against her is going to use this conviction as an excuse to attack her. We're in complete agreement on that. Now, there are other politicians who have been convicted. Personally, it doesn't shock me. I think there are worse things.”

12. JORDAN BARDELLA TAKING A SELFIE

13. MARINE LE PEN CHATTING TO A SUPPORTER

14. (SOUNDBITE) (French) A LOCAL FROM LA FLECHE, SAYING: “Obviously, Jordan, the advantage he'll have is that, as prime minister, if Marine is elected, he'll have five years of experience. If some people thought he was a little young to serve as president, five years from now, he'll certainly have the necessary skills.”

15. JORDAN BARDELLA TAKING A SELFIE

16. MARINE LE PEN AMONGST SUPPORTERS

17. (SOUNDBITE) (French) A LOCAL FROM LA FLECHE, SAYING: “A convicted person cannot run for office, so this is completely off the mark. You can’t demand that others set an example while failing to apply the same standards to yourself. But I think that in 2013, when it comes to certain things in life, she needs to live up to her own words, and we need to put an end to people who lie. So, quite simply, lying is not acceptable in politics today.”

18. MARINE LE PEN WAVING AT SUPPORTERS AND LEAVING IN HER CAR