French National Rally (RN) leader Marine Le Pen has declared her determination to remain in the race for France’s next presidential election in 2027 – despite an ineligibility sentence that bars her from running.
“I’m optimistic about my chances of being a candidate in the 2027 presidential election, and I will fight until the end to make it happen,” she stated on April 10 during an interview on Hemicycle TV channel.
“I will do everything in my power to ensure that the French people can choose their candidate freely,” she added.
Le Pen criticised the recent court ruling that barred her from standing, arguing that preventing her candidacy undermined the democratic process.
“The idea that millions of French citizens — potentially 37 percent of the population — could be denied the opportunity to vote for their preferred candidate is unacceptable in a democracy like France,” she said.
Le Pen also voiced concern over what she called political bias in the judiciary.
“We need to stop being naive. While not all magistrates are politically motivated, some clearly are. When the Magistrates’ Union calls on judges to prevent the National Rally from gaining power after the European elections, that raises serious concerns,” she claimed.
While committed to her fight, Le Pen acknowledged the possibility of defeat.
“I’m not going to live in fear for the next year. I will fight to the end — whether I win or lose. If we lose, then we [RN] will have some big decisions to make,” she said.
Her appeal against her sentence has been scheduled for the summer of 2026.
The right-wing leader, though, faces the immediate political consequences of the court verdict issued on March 31 as she is to lose her position as councillor for the Pas-de-Calais constituency.
Some political opponents have pushed for quicker application of her sentence.
MP Harold Huwart said: “I have contacted Bruno Retailleau regarding the failure to enforce Marine Le Pen’s ineligibility sentence as a departmental councillor. The Minister of the Interior cannot be open to any accusation of leniency by not implementing a decision of Justice.”
Nonetheless, Le Pen has remained a member of the French parliament, although that status may not last and she could lose her parliamentary seat if her ineligibility sentence is confirmed on appeal.
She could also be stripped of her MP position before then, depending on how the country’s political situation evolves.
Indeed, with the National Assembly, or lower parliament, in deadlock, a resurgence of political unrest could prompt President Emmanuel Macron to dissolve parliament once again as early as summer 2025.
In that scenario, Le Pen would not be able to stand for re-election.
Despite French National Rally de facto leader Marine Le Pen’s recent conviction, the party has remained a potent force, with its President Jordan Bardella performing strongly in recent polls. https://t.co/wUADGOv2OY
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) April 8, 2025
