Jordan Bardella, the leader of France's far-right National Rally (RN), said he would stand for president in 2027 with the backing of Marine Le Pen if the three-time presidential candidate was barred from taking part, in an interview published Saturday.
Le Pen, the long-time standard bearer of the French far-right, suffered a stunning blow in late March when a court convicted her and other party officials over an EU parliament fake jobs scam.
As well as being handed a prison sentence and a fine, she was banned from standing for office for five years with immediate effect, even pending her appeal. She hopes now the appeal will be heard rapidly and can quash or amend the conviction, allowing her to stand.
Read moreAs Le Pen’s presidential hopes hang in the balance, Bardella waits in the wings
But in an interview with Le Parisien, Bardella, still only 29 and seen as Le Pen's protégé, gave the clearest indication yet that he would be the RN candidate for president if she was unable to stand.
"There is no ambiguity about the fact that Marine Le Pen is my candidate, but that if she was prevented from running tomorrow, I think I can tell you that I would be her candidate," he told the newspaper.
"I cannot be clearer than that," Bardella said, emphasising "the overriding necessity to be united".
Macron's camp mulls successor
Le Pen, who scented her best ever chance to win the Élysée in the 2027 polls when President Emmanuel Macron must step down after serving two terms, had planned to be president with Bardella as her prime minister.
But Bardella said: "What we expect from a potential prime minister and a presidential candidate are qualities that are more or less quite similar."
Read moreHow Jordan Bardella became France’s far-right poster boy
The contours of the 2027 election, set to be a key turning point in French modern history, remain unclear across the political spectrum just two years ahead of the poll.
A centre or centre-right figure backed by Macron could emerge as the main challenge to the far right. Former premier Édouard Philippe has said he plans to stand while another ex-premier, Gabriel Attal, may also be weighing a campaign.
High-profile Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin, who previously served as interior minister, on Friday made clear his interest in standing.
"Do I want it? Yes. Do I have the project? I'm working on it," Darmanin told the Voix du Nord daily while emphasising there were "several" likely candidates from the centre and it is "our responsibility to have a single candidate".
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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