Le Pen Again Claims Presidential Candidacy – Bardella Remains Number Two

Paris – 12 July 2026: Marine Le Pen has confirmed her candidacy for the 2027 presidential election following the ruling by the Paris Court of Appeal, thereby redefining the division of roles within the Rassemblement National. Jordan Bardella, the party president and until recently being positioned as a possible replacement candidate, is now once again behind the chair of the RN parliamentary group. For the time being, his prospects lie more in the office of prime minister than at the Elysee Palace.

The trigger was the July 7 decision in the case concerning the employment of European Parliament assistants by the former Front National. The Court of Appeal upheld Marine Le Pen‘s conviction for embezzlement of public funds and imposed, among other penalties, a prison sentence that can partly be served under electronic monitoring, as well as temporary ineligibility to stand for election. Le Pen has announced that she will appeal to the Court of Cassation.

The legal situation gave Bardella an unusually strong position for months. The 30-year-old party leader repeatedly stated that he would run if Le Pen were prevented from doing so by the courts. Preparations for both scenarios were therefore underway within the RN. Bardella embodies generational change, enjoys high name recognition, and led the party as its top candidate in the 2024 European elections.

With Le Pen’s decision, however, the power structure remains unchanged: she retains the final political say, while Bardella runs the party organizationally and is intended to serve as a key campaign figure. The duo allows the RN to combine continuity with personnel renewal. At the same time, the party avoids an open succession battle that would have been inevitable if Bardella had run for president.

Le Pen’s return to the forefront is politically significant because she is seeking the highest office in the state for the fourth time. She reached the runoff against Emmanuel Macron in both 2017 and 2022. Since Macron cannot run again in 2027 after two consecutive terms, the election will take place without the incumbent president. The RN aims to use this situation to consolidate the voter base it has expanded over recent years.

For Bardella, this development is not a formal demotion, but it does limit his room for maneuver. He remains the party’s most visible representative alongside Le Pen and a possible candidate for Matignon should the RN win the presidency. However, his political authority remains closely tied to Le Pen’s strategic decision and to the outcome of the Court of Cassation proceedings.

The judiciary therefore remains a factor in the electoral landscape. The appeal decision has not ended Le Pen’s immediate candidacy, but the further proceedings could affect her position again. The RN must therefore meet two requirements at once: conduct a presidential campaign tailored to Le Pen while keeping Bardella ready as a credible second leadership figure. The current arrangement strengthens unity in the short term, but merely postpones the succession question.