French nationally oriented leader insists she has planned for “every scenario” and will remain an activist even if barred from public office, as Paris appeal court prepares to deliver verdict in fake jobs scandal.
“I will not give up the fight”
Marine Le Pen has declared she will not walk away from political life, even if a highly anticipated appeal court ruling destroys her chances of running in France’s 2027 presidential election. Speaking on LCI television, the leader of the parliamentary faction of National Rally framed her potential disqualification as a battle against an establishment that fears her movement.
“There is no room for fear in this struggle,” Le Pen said, signalling her intention to carry on regardless of the outcome. She described the possibility of being legally blocked from office as a profound injustice, noting that it would rob her of a fight that “has been my life’s work”. She added emphatically: “I will continue to fight and I will remain an activist.”
Preparing for the worst-case scenario
Le Pen revealed that she has already gamed out every conceivable outcome of the legal process, including a situation in which she must “take the hit.” Should the ban be upheld, she argued, a successor is standing by to carry the ideological torch forward. The three-time presidential candidate confirmed she would exhaust every available legal avenue to clear her name, but admitted a catch-22 looms. Under certain circumstances, she might have to forgo an appeal to France’s highest court of cassation because doing so would permanently shut the door on her campaign timeline.
“But if I can stand, I will stand,” Le Pen said. “Provided they allow me to run a proper campaign.” She made clear, however, that she would refuse to hit the campaign trail while wearing an electronic ankle tag and begging for permission to visit individual communes to hold rallies.
“I was preparing to be president”
Addressing the delicate division of roles inside the party she shares with 30-year-old formal leader Jordan Bardella, Le Pen depicted a carefully choreographed double act. “We built our roles in advance,” she explained. “I was preparing to be president, and he was preparing to be prime minister.” Describing their partnership as complementary, she closed her remarks with a rallying cry: “If our party does not do what needs to be done for France, no one will do it.”
The legal and electoral calendar
The Paris Court of Appeal is scheduled to deliver its verdict on July 7 concerning the fake parliamentary assistants case, in which Le Pen and other party figures were accused of misappropriating European Parliament funds.
On March 31, 2025, a lower court handed Le Pen a four-year prison sentence—two years to be served under electronic surveillance and two suspended — and imposed an immediate five-year ban on standing for elective office. Crucially, while the custodial element of the sentence is on hold pending appeal, the prohibition on running for office took effect instantly. Although it does not strip Le Pen of her current seat in the National Assembly, it forces her to vacate any other elective mandates.
The 2027 French presidential election is scheduled for April 18, with a likely run-off on May 2. Constitutional term limits bar incumbent Emmanuel Macron from seeking a third consecutive term, turning the contest into a wide-open race in which Le Pen has long been considered a frontrunner.
