"I'm not disappearing," assures Marine Le Pen despite her conviction

"I am not disappearing because of a court decision that is being appealed," Marine Le Pen said on Thursday, May 8, reacting to the delicate situation that sees her ineligible for the next presidential election, and at a disadvantage compared to her ambitious runner-up, Jordan Bardella. The RN leader spoke to several media outlets in Hénin-Beaumont, Pas-de-Calais, where she was attending the May 8, 1945, commemorations.

The former president of the National Rally (RN) has seen her political horizons narrow since being sentenced to four years in prison, two of which were under electronic monitoring, and five years of ineligibility, in the case of the fictitious assistants of the National Rally. Although she hopes for a more favorable decision on appeal , during a new trial scheduled to take place next year, the far-right party is forced to consider an alternative to its representative in the last three presidential elections. "If she is prevented from running, I will be [her] candidate," Jordan Bardella told Le Parisien at the end of April. A prospect that Marine Le Pen's main supporters, who are not always supporters of her successor, are struggling to accept.

The latest episode: the publication of a poll commissioned by an observatory funded by the reactionary billionaire Pierre-Edouard Stérin , in which Bardella's candidacy was initially the only one tested. Marine Le Pen's was also tested, at the last minute and on a smaller sample, following recriminations from those close to her. A knighthood for the young president of the RN or an attempt to sow discord internally? The second objective seemed to have been achieved, given the reactions of several RN executives to this survey.

"It doesn't offend me, I just find it ridiculous," Le Pen assured on Thursday. "The National Rally, through Jordan [Bardella] or through me, is extremely high in voting intentions" and "that's the real good news from this poll" - the two figures are credited with similar scores in the first round, at more than 30%, as in the second (50% against Edouard Philippe for Bardella, 48% for Marine Le Pen). According to testimonies reported by the press, the latter spoke out virulently against this poll and the intentions attributed to its authors, during a meeting of RN deputies at the beginning of the week.