Overview

• Le Pen has asked Jordan Bardella to prepare for the possibility of leading the Rassemblement National in the 2027 presidential race if her ineligibility is upheld.
• She was convicted in March and given a five-year ban from holding office along with a four-year prison term, two years of which are firm, for misusing approximately €4.4 million in EU funds.
• A second trial on related charges is scheduled before the Paris Court of Appeal, with a ruling expected in summer 2026.
• Le Pen has argued that preventing her from running would undermine the election’s legitimacy and could spark significant voter anger.
• In early June, Le Pen and Bardella held a joint rally and toured the Salon du Bourget to demonstrate a united leadership front ahead of the succession.