Poll shows divided opinions on Le Pen's Presidential candidacy
Majority Prefer Le Pen as Potential Presidential Candidate, According to Survey - Majority Prefer Le Pen as Presidential Contender, According to Survey Results
Despite the current buzz, only 37% of French citizens believe Marine Le Pen can actually run for President. This is a 37-point drop from just a month ago, according to a pair of recent polls by the Ifop institute.
These surveys questioned 1,000 and 1,500 adult French citizens online respectively. Despite the popular vote, nearly two-thirds of the population reject legislative changes that could bypass Le Pen's immediate ineligibility. The prospect of such a change was proposed by Eric Ciotti, a far-right MP allied with Le Pen, for June.
On Monday, Le Pen faced a court conviction for EU fund embezzlement. She was sentenced to four years in prison, two of which were suspended, two under electronic tag, and a fine of 100,000 euros. These penalties are currently on hold, pending the appeal process. Le Pen and 23 other defendants were found guilty of systematically funneling EU parliamentary assistant salaries to fund her party for over a decade, amounting to around four million euros in damages.
Marine Le Pen's conviction has raised questions about her eligibility for the upcoming presidential election. Her appeal ruling might not be determined until summer 2026, but time is running short, given the 2027 elections are fast approaching. If her appeal fails, the current president of the National Rally party, Jordan Bardella, is a potential frontrunner to take over any presidential bid.
- Poll
- Marine Le Pen
- Conviction
- Embezzlement
- European Union
- Popularity
- Presidential Election
- National Rally
- The poll results indicate that 63% of the French population oppose legislative changes that could bypass Marine Le Pen's immediate ineligibility due to her conviction for EU fund embezzlement.
- Marine Le Pen's employment policy, which was allegedly funded through the systemic funneling of EU parliamentary assistant salaries, has been estimated to have caused around four million euros in damages.
- If Marine Le Pen's appeal against her conviction for EU fund embezzlement fails, her party's current president, Jordan Bardella, might be a potential frontrunner in the Presidential candidacy, given the 2027 elections are approaching.
