A French appeal court’s decision to uphold Marine Le Pen’s conviction for embezzlement may propel a young star of the French far-right into next year’s presidential election.
Jordan Bardella, 30, is expected to take the final step in his meteoric rise to the top of French politics as a potential replacement for Le Pen as the National Rally candidate for the 2027 vote.
It is a career-defining moment that may herald a new era for the party and spell the end of Le Pen’s role as the figurehead of the French far-right.
A three-judge panel on Tuesday reduced her ban for running for public office, meaning she can now stand. But Le Pen was also sentenced to a three-year jail term, with two years suspended and one year wearing an electronic ankle tag - the latter being a condition she has previously said would prevent her running from office.
“Nothing can justify Marine Le Pen being excluded from the French people's choice ..." Bardella said on X on Monday evening, as the pair sought to present a united front before the verdict.
But who is the rising star of the far-right, who is the current bookies’ favourite to become the next French president?
Who is Bardella?
Bardella was born on 13 September 1995 in the relatively underprivileged area of Drancy, Seine-Saint-Denis, northeast of Paris.
He says his mother, who did most of the work in raising him, had “difficulty making ends meet”.
His father, meanwhile, was a business owner living in the wealthy suburb of Montmorency, who Bardella would spend weekends and Wednesdays with.
Bardella began studying Geography at Paris-Sorbonne University, before he dropped out to focus on a blossoming political career.
How did he enter politics?
In 2012, aged 16, Bardella joined the National Front (FN) - the former name for the National Rally.
Just two years later, he became the party’s youngest ever departmental official when he became FN secretary of Seine-Saint-Denis aged 19.
The youngster was increasingly viewed as the party’s future as it rose in the polls to become a major force in French politics.
He joined Le Pen’s campaign team in the 2017 presidential election, in which she finished second, and two years later would be listed as a candidate on the National Rally list for the 2019 European Parliament election.
Bardella is now a household name in France after becoming president of the National Rally aged just 25, following a rapid rise up the party’s ranks during his early 20s.
What are his chances of becoming president?
It remains unclear whether Le Pen will choose to run following the court’s decision. But if she doesn’t, it will be a huge step forward for Bardella.
Of course, there is the small matter of winning the 2027 presidential election still to come.
Most bookies currently have him favourite to win the presidency at 2/1.
He leads the first round opinion polling by a wide margin, regularly polling at just over one third of the votes, with the next
The person polling second - Édouard Charles Philippe, who served as prime minister under Macron from 2017 to 2020 - is polling at around 15 to 20 per cent.
If there was to be a second round runoff between the two, it is much closer, with major polls almost evenly split on who would win the presidency.
Read MoreMarine Le Pen could run in French presidential election next year, court rules
Balogun starts for US against Belgium after suspension lifted following call by Trump to FIFA
France awaits decision on whether Le Pen can run for president
Suspect in Monaco bombing that injured Ukrainian oligarch found shot dead near Kyiv
Ukraine war latest: Zelensky tells Nato air defences needed ‘today’ to stop Putin
Russia weaponises traditional family values to boost its ‘catastrophic’ birth rate
