6 December 2015, 11:24 GMT
MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Leader of the French National Front (FN) party Marine Le Pen officially announced her intention to run for the French presidency in the 2017 election.
"Yes, I will run as a candidate in the 2017 presidential election," Le Pen said Monday, as broadcast by the TF1 television.
She added that the political life of France needs "people who believe in their convictions."
The popularity of France’s far-right anti-immigrant FN rose after the deadly extremist attacks that shook Paris on November 13. Following the attacks, Le Pen called for the country to immediately stop taking in migrants.
In the first round of regional elections in December, FN gained almost 28 percent of the regional vote and ranked first in six of the country’s 13 continental region, however it came third in the second round, losing to ex-President Nicolas Sarkozy's The Republicans party and the ruling Socialist Party.
