Marine Le Pen has announced she will seek the French presidency for a fourth time, ending speculation that she might step aside in favor of Jordan Bardella and reigniting concerns in Brussels about the future direction of the European Union.

Le Pen made the announcement during a live television interview on Tuesday, just hours after being sentenced to one year of house arrest with electronic monitoring.

“I am here tonight to tell you I am the candidate for the 2027 elections,” she told broadcaster TF1, confirming she will once again lead the presidential campaign for the far-right National Rally.

Her decision ends months of speculation over whether she would hand the party’s presidential nomination to Bardella, the 30-year-old National Rally leader who many observers view as a rising figure within the French right.

In Brussels, Le Pen’s announcement was met with renewed concern among European officials and lawmakers, many of whom have spent months assessing how either a Le Pen or Bardella presidency could reshape relations between France and the European Union.

While both figures are expected to challenge many EU policies, several officials and political analysts have privately and publicly described Bardella as the more pragmatic and less ideological of the two, fueling hopes that he might prove easier for Brussels to engage with.

Le Pen’s candidacy now raises the prospect of a more confrontational relationship between France and the EU at a critical moment for the bloc.

European leaders are preparing for negotiations over the Union’s next seven-year budget while also pursuing deeper defense cooperation in response to evolving security challenges.

Some officials fear that a Le Pen presidency could complicate efforts to build consensus among the EU’s 27 member states on major policy initiatives.

The announcement also prompted criticism from political opponents.

Iratxe García Pérez warned against the growing influence of the far right in Europe.

“What worries us is the threat of the extreme right, the attack on European citizens’ rights and the policies that benefit these citizens,” she said. “And we are going to fight, whatever their names or surnames may be.”

Le Pen’s decision sets the stage for what is expected to be another closely watched French presidential race, with significant implications not only for France but also for the future of the European Union.