Marion Marechal-Le Pen. niece of Marine Le Pen, has announced that she is leaving politics in a blow to the far-right National Front Geoffroy Van Der Hasselt/AFP via Getty Images | Geoffroy Van Der Hasselt/AFP via Getty Images Marion Maréchal-Le Pen to quit politics: report Announcement is a blow to the far-right National Front.

PARIS — Marion Maréchal-Le Pen, niece of National Front leader and defeated presidential candidate Marine Le Pen, will not stand for reelection to the French parliament, Le Figaro reported Tuesday.

Maréchal-Le Pen will also quit her position as councillor in the Provences-Alpes-Côte d'Azur regional council.

Her withdrawal is a major blow for the National Front. Following her aunt's defeat in the presidential election Sunday, the party was depending on Maréchal-Le Pen to win seats in her southern region during the legislative election in June.

She is one of only two National Front MPs in the lower house of parliament.

Her absence not only deprives the party of potential wins; it will deprive many National Front officials of a popular local leader whom many in southern France prefer to her aunt.

Marine Le Pen has been informed of her niece's decision, Le Monde reported.

"She had been telling me about this for a while," an MP from southern France told the newspaper. "But if she wants to do this, now is the time."

She had earlier mentioned that she would consider leaving politics. “I won’t be in politics for my whole life,” she told POLITICO in April. “It’s certain that at some point I will go off and do something different.”

During the campaign trail, Marine — with whom Marion has had an at times testy relationship — had ruled out a cabinet position for Marion in her government if she had won.