"The ballot confirmed Le Pen's firm grip on the party, founded by her father and predecessor Jean-Marie Le Pen, and provides support to a widely expected bid for France's presidency in the 2017 elections. The party election came a day after France's main opposition party, the conservative UMP, elected former president Nicolas Sarkozy as its leader," Agence France-Presse reported.
It will be Le Pen's second term heading the National Front, France's conservative political party established in 1975 by Jean-Marie Le Pen, the father of Marine. She first won the leadership in 2011, succeeding her father. Radio France International emphasizes that the "ballot comforted a bid [Marine Le Pen] is widely expected to make for France's presidency in 2017 elections."
Jean-Marie Le Pen believes that his daughter would one day become the head of the state. "The sooner the better because France's situation keeps getting worse," he stressed as cited by the media outlet. Analysts consider Marine Le Pen and Sarkozy the two main rivals in the 2017 presidential elections, referring to current French leader Francois Hollande's "record unpopularity."
The National Front has also gained considerable achievements in both regional and European elections this year. "The weekend gathering caps a triumphant year for the National Front, which captured a dozen towns in municipal elections, romped to victory in European elections with a whopping 25% of the vote, and seized its first ever seats in the Senate," France 24, the international broadcaster, underscores. The news source also adds that Marine Le Pen was included in Foreign Policy's list of the 100 most influential figures of 2014.
