"National Rally former leader Marine Le Pen appeared at a Paris appeals court on Tuesday to challenge her embezzlement conviction in a case that could determine whether she can run in France's 2027 presidential election. Footage shows Le Pen and her lawyer, Rodolphe Bosselut, leaving court without making a statement after the hearing, with a verdict expected in several months. The founder of the National Rally is accused of using European Parliament funds to pay assistants who worked for the then-National Front party – charges she denies. She was banned from running for public office last March after being found guilty. Following a conviction to four years' imprisonment, two of which are suspended, and a 100,000 EUR (about 116,000 USD) fine, Le Pen now appeals in a case involving suspected misappropriation of European public funds, which began in 2014. "There were checks, document reviews, but there was no investigation, no inquiry," stated the European Parliament's counsel, Patrick Maisonneuve, after the hearing, accusing Le Pen of making 'contradictory things'. "There's a contradiction in saying at the same time, 'I deny you the right to examine the content of my work as a parliamentarian and my parliamentary assistants,' and then claiming that the European Parliament didn't conduct thorough checks. You need to make up your mind," he said. The ruling, expected to be announced in the summer, will determine whether Le Pen can run in the next presidential election. If barred, she would likely be replaced by the party's president, Jordan Bardella."