leader of French, for embezzlement of public money, with a five -year imprisonment and a five -year deprivation of the right to be elected, which deprives her of the right to be a candidate in her presidential election in 2027, did not fall as a thunderbolt. Its far -right party, the National Coalition (RN), while knowing that the chances of being condemned Lepen were increasing, even refusing to take it into account as a possibility. As a result, Lepen’s condemnation (31/3) is a major blow to the whole French far -right and her party in particular, as there seems to be no successful situation to replace her as a candidate for president.
Although Zordan Bardelas, a RN MEP, who was elected party president with Lepen’s blessings, is alleged as her natural successor, is not disputed by the party and has not been prosecuted against him, in 2027 he will be only 31 years old.
however, he is very likely to overthrow the conviction against her. What she will probably try to do in the immediate future is to present herself as a victim of the judges, the “system”, as US President Donald Trump did during his election campaign, who had no opportunity to adopt the US justice.
It is a fact, however, as the French newspaper Le Monde pointed out, that the French far -right loses its “natural candidate” for the presidency: Marin Lepen was a candidate for president in the 2012, 2017 and 2022 elections (and lost all three times).
Theoretically, Lepen’s condemnation politically benefits the leader of the far -right France (LFI), Jean Lyk Melanson, who has never hidden his presidential ambitions. The 72 -year -old Melanson participates in the new People’s Front, the four -party coalition of the Left parties, who was created to clog the road to Lepen, last July’s parliamentary elections, but it is clear that his ultimate goal is to claim the presidential post. Melanson’s plan was to move in the second round of the 2027 elections against Lepen and win it.
Now, however, as the French political scene is being rearranged, it is too early to predict which politician of the center, the center -left or the French Right could stand against Melanson. With the departure of President Emmanuel Macron, who cannot, from the impact, claim a third presidential term, his Central Party, the Renaissance, is not sure to be divided. Macron did not care for the strengthening and unity of the party, and the dolphins are many (such as former Prime Minister Gabriel Atal and Justice Minister Gerald Darmann).
At the same time, neither in the French center -left nor in the French Right, a person with strong current is currently distinguished to have a serious chance of being elected president of France.
