Overview

• Marine Le Pen was convicted in March for embezzling EU parliamentary funds and received a five-year ban from public office
• In a June 25 interview with Valeurs Actuelles she conceded she may be barred from running and urged Jordan Bardella to prepare for a possible candidacy
• Jordan Bardella, 29, succeeded Le Pen as president of the National Rally and is widely regarded as her heir apparent
• A Paris appeals court is expected to rule on her conviction in summer 2026, with the outcome determining whether she can enter the 2027 race
• President Emmanuel Macron is term-limited and contenders such as former Prime Minister Édouard Philippe have already begun positioning for the upcoming election