French court to rule on July 7 in Marine Le Pen appeal trial

A lower court last year handed the 57-year-old veteran politician a five-year ban from public office over a fake jobs scam at the European parliament, dashing her presidential ambitions.

If the appeals court upholds last year's bombshell ruling, the three-time presidential candidate would be banned from running in 2027, widely seen as her best chance at the top job.

At the end of Wednesday's proceedings, the court's president said it will deliver the ruling on July 7 in the early afternoon.

"The sooner, the better, I feel," Le Pen told reporters after the hearing.

Le Pen made it to the second round in the 2017 and 2022 presidential polls, losing to President Emmanuel Macron both times. But he cannot run again next year after hitting the limit of two consecutive terms in office.

Le Pen has said she will decide whether to run for president after the ruling in the appeal trial, and has indicated that her lieutenant -- 30-year-old Jordan Bardella, who heads her National Rally (RN) party -- could be the selected candidate instead.

A poll in November predicted that, should he run, Bardella would win the second round of the 2027 elections, no matter who stands against him.

Prosecutors last week demanded the court maintain a five-year ban and a four-year prison term with three years suspended for Le Pen in the case against her and other members of her anti-immigration RN party.

She had in the first trial received a four-year prison sentence, with two years suspended.