Le Pen Declares Candidacy for 2027 Presidential Election

Marine Le Pen, the leader of the French National Rally, has officially announced her candidacy for the upcoming 2027 presidential election. In an interview with TF1, she stated her intention to represent the National Assembly, positioning herself against Emmanuel Macron in the elections at the Elysée Palace.

“I want to pursue every legal avenue to protect the innocent in this case. I’m a candidate tonight,” she remarked during the evening news program 20 hours.

This announcement follows a ruling from the Paris Court of Appeal, which upheld last year’s conviction of Le Pen and several associates for allegedly embezzling EU funds meant to support their party activities in Brussels and Strasbourg but reportedly used in France instead.

Initially sentenced to four years in prison along with a €100,000 fine and a five-year ban from European elections, her situation saw some changes when an appeals court reduced her sentence to a 15-month suspension. This allows her to participate in the presidential race, although she still faces a €100,000 fine and a three-year prison sentence that mandates at least a year of house arrest monitored by an electronic ankle device.

Le Pen had previously indicated she would not run if placed under house arrest. Now, with her disqualification lifted, she plans to appeal to the Court of Cassation, the highest court in France for such matters. She expressed confidence that the reinstatement of her presumption of innocence would allow her to campaign without the electronic monitor in the meantime.

“I had announced that I would not campaign while wearing an electronic tag,” she noted. “However, I have the option of appealing to the Court of Cassation, and the appeal will suspend the effect of the judgment, so I will campaign without an electronic tag.”

Despite claims from many left-wing politicians that the court’s ruling serves as proof of her guilt, Le Pen continues to assert her innocence. She argued that the charges stem from a misunderstanding regarding the roles of her aides, emphasizing that the court confirmed there was no financial interest involved.

Le Pen also expressed that any efforts to undermine her candidacy could harm the future of French democracy, stating, “You should never force anything on the French people. The final decision must be left to the French people.”

There had been speculation that if her ban had been upheld, Jordan Bardera, the vice president of the National Rally, might run in her place. However, Le Pen clarified that she would choose Bardera as her prime minister if she won and reiterated her plan to run alongside him.

“We complement each other. We are fighting for France… I think this political partnership that we form can really change things,” she added.