Key facts
- Marine Le Pen announced her candidacy for the French presidential election.
- A court reduced Le Pen's ban on holding office to 15 months, allowing her to run.
- Le Pen received a one-year sentence of house arrest and plans to appeal.
- Jordan Bardella is designated as Le Pen's potential prime minister.
- Polls indicate Le Pen and Bardella are strong contenders for the presidency.
Marine Le Pen has announced her intention to run for the French presidency in 2027, following a court ruling that significantly reduced her ban on holding public office. While sentenced to one year of house arrest, the ban was shortened to 15 months starting March 2025, making her eligible to compete. Le Pen stated she will appeal the sentence to France's highest court, the Cour de cassation, to challenge the house arrest conditions and avoid campaigning under judicial restriction.
Le Pen launched her bid alongside Jordan Bardella, the current president of the National Rally, whom she has designated as her potential prime minister. Recent polling indicates Le Pen is a strong contender, leading the first round with 32 percent of the vote, while Bardella polls slightly higher at 36 percent. Despite Le Pen's name recognition and three previous presidential runs, her past policy stances, such as leaving the EU and economic proposals, have historically alienated some segments of the electorate, particularly the center-right. Bardella, a younger figure, has been seen as potentially more appealing to these voters.
Le Pen's platform includes a pro-state, interventionist economic approach, opposition to free trade deals, and a desire to enshrine the primacy of French law over European law. She also advocates for reversing President Macron's pension reform to lower the retirement age to 62. While Bardella has publicly questioned some of the party's economic positions, Le Pen remains the ultimate decision-maker on campaign issues.