With less than a year to go until France's April 2027 presidential election, the far-right National Rally party still hasn't designated a candidate. As Marine Le Pen appeals a graft conviction that barred her from seeking office for five years, her young protégé Jordan Bardella is poised to step in. But some doubt whether the young Bardella has what it takes to win the Élysée Palace.
Since its founding as the National Front in 1972, France's main far-right party was long synonymous with its founder, Jean‑Marie Le Pen. His daughter Marine Le Pen, who took the reins in 2011, has since rebranded the party as the National Rally (RN).
