French far-right leader Marine Le Pen is thankful that her party, the National Rally, can count on leader Jordan Bardella if she’s barred from running in the 2027 French election. “It’s a relief for me that, if I’m prevented from standing, he could stand in my place,” she said in an interview with France Télévisions on Sunday. Le Pen was convicted of embezzling European Parliament funds in March 2025 , a ruling that currently excludes her from the 2027 presidential race. She immediately