Marine Le Pen

The dominant figure of the French right, Le Pen has transformed the National Rally from a fringe fascist party into France's largest political force. Her parliamentary group's decision to topple Barnier in December 2024 demonstrated her willingness to use institutional power destructively, and her 2027 presidential run looms over French politics.

Marine Isabelle Le Pen was born on August 5, 1968, in Neuilly-sur-Seine. The daughter of Jean-Marie Le Pen, founder of the Front National, she took over the party in 2011 and rebranded it as the National Rally in 2018, purging its most overtly antisemitic elements. She ran for president in 2012, 2017 and 2022 — losing all three but polling higher each time. In March 2025 she received a suspended prison sentence and was banned from public office for embezzlement.