Marine Le Pen’s comeback has thrown France’s presidential election into disarray as rivals for the Élysée Palace scramble to revise their game plans.

Before yesterday’s court ruling opened the way for Le Pen to enter the presidential race, other declared candidates on the left and right were counting on her lieutenant Jordan Bardella to be the right-wing National Rally’s candidate. Bardella has definite strengths, especially his handsome looks and appeal to young voters thanks to his massive following on social media. But his youth and inexperience, at age 30, are a handicap that opponents almost certainly were planning to exploit, especially in live television debates.

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Now it appears the Bardella scenario is off. Candidates for French president will likely have to face Marine Le Pen in next spring’s vote. Besides the brand appeal of her surname among right-wing voters, 57-year-old Le Pen is a seasoned politician who has worked hard to transform her father Jean-Marie Le Pen’s far-right party into an electable right-wing movement. Hardened by three presidential elections, she confronted Emmanuel Macron in the runoff vote in both 2017 and 2022. She can now hope that the 2027 election will be her vindication. 

While Le Pen still has legal hurdles to........

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