PARIS, September 21. /TASS/. Marine Le Pen, leader of the National Rally faction in France’s parliament, said she hopes to run in early parliamentary elections if they are called soon in an interview with Le Journal du Dimanche.
"If parliament is dissolved, I think I will manage to run. I have filed several complaints, and there is a precedent set by the Constitutional Council that allows me to challenge the decision until it is definitive," Le Pen said.
She added that her appeal against the ruling of the French court of first instance has also been lodged with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). The politician stressed she has no intention of leaving politics, even if she cannot participate in elections. "If, for instance, I cannot be a candidate, I will still continue to do politics," she said.
Le Pen noted that the National Rally is fully prepared for a possible vote. "We are as ready as we can possibly be. Last time, when the dissolution happened, we did not expect it: we had to mobilize all our teams in four days. This time, we had a whole year to prepare, and we learned from some of the problems that were identified then," she said.
On March 31, a Paris court sentenced Le Pen to four years in prison in the case of parliamentary assistants and barred her from holding elected office or running in elections for five years. While the prison term is suspended pending appeal, the ban on candidacy took immediate effect and can only be lifted if her appeal succeeds. This ruling prevents her from contesting the 2027 presidential race or standing in early parliamentary elections should the National Assembly be dissolved.
Le Pen denounced the verdict as politically motivated and filed an appeal with a higher court. The appellate review is expected to be completed by summer 2026.