French far-right politician Marine Le Pen announced on Tuesday evening during an anticipated interview with the TV channel TF1 that she intends to run in the 2027 presidential election. Before doing so, however, she seeks the overturning of a recent verdict handed down against her. Speaking at TF1, Le Pen maintained her innocence and vowed to pursue all available legal remedies.
A court in France recently sentenced her to a three-year jail term for mismanaging European Union funds during an appeal review. Two years of this sentence were suspended, but she is still required to wear ankle monitors for the remainder. This legal situation potentially allows her to participate in the April 2027 presidential election.
Le Pen thanked the court for restoring the freedom of choice to the French people, but stressed that she would not campaign while wearing ankle shackles. She stated her expectation that the Court of Cassation-the highest court in the regular jurisdiction-would annul the ruling.
In terms of her political strategy, Le Pen intends to run with her political successor, Jordan Bardella, forming a “duo”: her as president and him as prime minister. “The French people will have the final say,” Le Pen told TF1.
The 57-year-old described her working relationship with the 30-year-old Bardella as well-rehearsed. Both share the goal of “freeing gigantic France from the shackles” imposed by decades of poor governance. The core themes of their campaign-security, education, healthcare, and deindustrialization-will remain unchanged.
When questioned about the possibility of a final guilty verdict, Le Pen replied, “We shall see,” adding that there was “no more scenario” where she could not run. Bardella, meanwhile, stated that he supports her “100 percent.”
For weeks, France has debated whether Bardella himself might run as a presidential candidate. He is already the leader of the Rassemblement National party, and while the difference is slight, he performs somewhat better in polls. An assessment conducted by the radio station RTL in May indicated that he could achieve between 34 and 35 percent of the votes in the first round, while Le Pen was projected to receive between 32 and 33 percent.
