Moment of destiny for France's Le Pen in verdict to decide her future in presidential race

Leader of France’s far-right National Rally and a contender for the presidency set to hear appeal decision on Tuesday Marine Le Pen, France’s far-right figurehead and a leading contender for its presidency, will learn on Tuesday whether she can run in next year’s election when a Paris appeals court rules on her attempt to overturn a ban on holding elected office . The ruling will determine whether the far-right National Rally (RN) will be led by Le Pen, 57, or her young protege, Jordan Bardella, 30 in next year’s general elections.

PARIS Far-right boss Marine Le Pen will finally find out today if she can run for the French presidency. A three-judge panel will deliver its verdict at 1:30 p.m. on Le Pen’s appeal against an embezzlement conviction and five-year ban on running for public office, which knocked her out of next year’s race to replace President Emmanuel Macron. Should the court uphold the judgment, it would be a huge personal blow to the 57-year-old far-right leader. Le Pen has run for president three times already, but her party, the National Rally, has never been in a better position to win.

French far-right figurehead Marine Le Pen could see her 40-year political career come to an end on Tuesday if French courts rule that she is guilty of embezzling public funds and ineligible to stand for the presidency in 2027. FRANCE 24 takes a look at how she rose to prominence in France and brought her National Rally party into mainstream politics.