
Le Pen at a crossroads as RN eyes Bardella for 2027 bid
France’s Marine Le Pen faces a pivotal moment: a Paris appeal court’s ruling to bar her from the 2027 presidential race could end her long leadership of the National Rally, even as she pledges to back her protégé Jordan Bardella as the party’s de-demonisation continues; with Le Pen still seen as a contender in polls, the verdict could trigger a generational handover or mark the end of an era for France’s nationalist right.