Marine Le Pen has said she will not run for President of France in 2027 if the Court of Appeal upholds the original ruling barring her from politics.

Le Pen who was three times a candidate for the presidency, will be back before the court on January 13 after appealing the conviction.

She has been convicted of embezzling funds from the European Parliament, which she has repeatedly denied. The court imposed – with immediate effect – a five-year ban on Le Pen from running for public office, which could be overturned by the appeals court.

If Le Pen is found guilty again and given a sentence barring her from running in the presidential election, she said she would hand the reins to 30-year-old Jordan Bardela.

“Since the appeals court will probably issue its decision in September [i.e. 2026], I will not let the case drag on,” he told RTL. The presidential election will be held in spring 2027.

However, as Politico notes, the exact date of the verdict will not be known until the end of the trial, giving Le Pen some room to maneuver to retract her statement.

Le Pen will still have the option of appealing to a higher authority if the appeals court does not issue a favorable ruling, but seems to be rejecting that idea. “If I’m banned from running but the [supreme court] rules in my favour three or four months later, it will be too late for a proper campaign,” Le Pen said.

An Elabe poll published earlier this month showed, however, that both Le Pen and Bardela have a double-digit lead over their rivals for the first round.