If Le Pen is found guilty again and handed a sentence that still bars her from running in the presidential election, she said would accept her fate and hand over the reins to her 30-year-old protégé Jordan Bardella.
“Since the court of appeals is likely to hand down its ruling in September, I’m not going to let this drag on,” she told RTL.
The exact date of the ruling won’t be known until the end of the trial, giving Le Pen some wiggle room to walk back her statement if she chooses.
Le Pen would still have the option of taking the case to an even higher authority if the appeals court does not deliver a favorable ruling, but she appeared to pour cold water on that idea.
“If I am barred from running but the [highest court] rules in my favor three or four months later, it will be too late to run a proper presidential campaign,” Le Pen said.
A poll by Elabe released earlier this month showed both Le Pen and Bardella with a double-digit lead over their nearest rivals in first-round voting intentions.