Far-right candidate Marine Le Pen has announced she is temporarily stepping down as leader of the Front National to concentrate on her presidential bid.
The move appears to be a way of embracing a wider range of voters ahead of her runoff against Emmanuel Macron.
She had previously said she is not a candidate of her party and the policy platform she stood was hers and not reflective of the Front National.
"Tonight, I am no longer the president of the National Front. I am the presidential candidate," Ms Le Pen said on French public television news.
Ms Le Pen had previously attempted to clean up the party’s racist and anti-Semitic image as she tried to appeal to voters on both the left and the right.
She has made it through to the final round of the French presidential election, where she will face centrist Mr Macron.
With 97 per cent of polling stations declared, Ms Le Pen has secured 21.4 per cent of the vote and Mr Macron, 23.9 per cent.
The final round of voting for the French Presidency will take place on 7 May, and Mr Macron is currently thought to be the favourite.
