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Is France's Marine Le Pen about to give up ambition for president's seat?
French far-right leader Marine Le Pen and her protege, the President of the French far-right National Rally Jordan Bardella. It's unclear if Bardella can fill Le Pen's shoes. File image/Reuters
Marine Le Pen, France's longtime far-right leader, said she may be unable to run in the country's 2027 presidential election due to a fraud conviction, and has asked her political protégé Jordan Bardella to prepare to take her place.
In an interview published Wednesday (March 25) in the French weekly Valeurs Actuelles, Le Pen acknowledged for the first time that she may not be a candidate. The National Rally (RN) leader was handed a five-year ban from holding public office in March after a French court convicted her and several associates over a fake jobs scandal involving the European Parliament. The conviction is under appeal, and a final decision is expected by summer 2026.
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'I have accepted the possibility that I may be unable to run. Jordan has accepted the possibility that he may have to take up the torch,' Le Pen told the magazine.
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Le Pen, who has run for president three times, denounced her conviction as a 'political decision' and a 'witch hunt.' President Emmanuel Macron, who defeated her in the 2017 and 2022 runoffs, cannot run again due to term limits.
Bardella emerges as successor amid legal uncertainty
Jordan Bardella, 29, succeeded Le Pen as head of the National Rally party in 2022 and currently leads its campaign for the European elections. He is widely regarded as her political heir and has gained visibility through his sharp media presence and growing popularity among younger voters.
Although Le Pen had previously dismissed talk of Bardella stepping in — joking in April that he would only be a candidate 'if she were hit by a truck' — her latest comments show a significant shift. She said the political consequences of her being barred from running could be profound.
'Many French people, regardless of their political convictions, would then understand that the rules of the game have been manipulated,' she said.
Despite reports of tensions between the two, both Le Pen and Bardella have consistently denied any rift. A recent poll showed Bardella gaining personal traction, with 28 percent of respondents saying they would like to vacation with him, compared to 22 percent for Le Pen.
Le Pen said she would 'continue to fight' while awaiting the outcome of her appeal, and warned against underestimating the potential public backlash if she is blocked from running. 'Of course, the situation is not ideal. But what else do you suggest? That I commit suicide before I'm murdered?' she said.
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So far, former Prime Minister Edouard Philippe is the only major French political figure to formally declare his intention to run in the 2027 race.
With inputs from AFP
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