3 h. ago US officials tried to lobby against Marine Le Pen election ban, French judge says

Magali Lafourcade says the two envoys were convinced the far-right leader’s corruption trial had been politicalEurope live – latest updatesA French magistrate has said two Trump administration emissaries approached her seeking to lobby against an election ban on the French far-right leader Marine Le Pen.Magali Lafourcade, the secretary general of France’s human rights commission (CNCDH), an independent body that advises the government, told Agence France-Presse (AFP) she had reported the content of the meeting to the French foreign ministry immediately, fearing a potential “manipulation of the public debate in France”. Continue reading...

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5 h. ago Marine Le Pen admits 'mistake' in EU embezzlement trial as she fights to save political career

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen acknowledged a "mistake" at a key appeals trial in Paris

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25 h. ago The Guardian view on the French far right: mainstream parties are running out of time | Editorial

A Paris appeals court will decide if Marine Le Pen can stand in next year’s presidential election. But legal troubles have not damaged the fortunes of her partyIn a Paris courtroom, the first act of the 2027 French presidential election is already under way. On Tuesday Marine Le Pen began to answer judges’ questions in her appeal against a conviction relating to the embezzlement of European parliament funds. If she wins, the far-right leader will be free to run for the presidency for a fourth time. If the sentence is upheld, her 30-year-old protege, Jordan Bardella, is almost certain to take her place in the race.Having presented the original verdict as an assault on democracy by judges bent on thwarting her political ambitions, Ms Le Pen has softened her stance. If the appeals court is swayed by arguments that offences committed by her National Rally party were inadvertent, a five-year ban on running for public office may be reduced or overturned. Even if she loses, however, her po...

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26 h. ago Party had no ‘system’ to misuse EU funds, Marine Le Pen tells appeal trial

French far-right leader says ‘never in my life’ would she ask an MEP to hire assistants to work for Front NationalThe French far-right leader Marine Le Pen has told a Paris appeals court there was no “system” set up by her party to misuse European parliament funds, as she gave evidence in a fresh embezzlement trial that will determine whether she can run in the 2027 presidential election.“The word ‘system’ bothers me because [it gives] the impression of a manipulation,” Le Pen said on Tuesday, denying she had told members of the European parliament to hire assistants who instead worked for the party headquarters in Paris. Continue reading...

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26 h. ago My party had no ‘system’ to misuse EU funds, Marine Le Pen tells appeal trial

French far-right leader denies existence of fake jobs ‘system’ in effort to overturn ban on running for presidentThe French far-right leader Marine Le Pen has told a Paris appeals court there was no “system” set up by her party to misuse European parliament funds, as she gave evidence in a fresh embezzlement trial that will determine whether she can run in the 2027 presidential election.“The word ‘system’ bothers me because [it gives] the impression of a manipulation,” Le Pen said on Tuesday, denying she had told members of the European parliament to hire assistants who instead worked for the party headquarters in Paris. Continue reading...

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5 d. ago Rightwing leaders endorse Viktor Orbán in Hungarian election campaign video

Italy’s Giorgia Meloni and France’s Marine Le Pen among figures showing support for Hungary’s prime ministerRightwing leaders from around the world have come together to endorse Hungary’s Viktor Orbán, hinting at the symbolism that the country’s elections hold for global far-right movements even as the populist leader lags in the polls.A campaign video published online by Orbán this week includes endorsements from nearly a dozen leaders including Italy’s Giorgia Meloni and Matteo Salvini, France’s Marine Le Pen and Germany’s Alice Weidel. Continue reading...

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8 d. ago Marine Le Pen’s appeal against embezzlement conviction to begin

Paris trial’s outcome will determine whether leader of far-right National Rally can run for French presidency in 2027The French far-right party leader Marine Le Pen will face a fresh trial on appeal on Tuesday over the embezzlement of European parliament funds in a case that will determine whether or not she can run in the 2027 presidential election.Le Pen, 57, who leads the far-right, anti-immigration National Rally (RN), was considered to be a contender for next year’s election until she was barred from running for public office last March after being found guilty of an extensive and long-running fake jobs scam. Continue reading...

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9 d. ago Can Marine Le Pen run in France’s 2027 presidential election? Far

Le Pen was a frontrunner in the forthcoming presidential elections before her conviction

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2 w. ago France bids adieu to Brigitte Bardot: Macron is snubbed by star's family as hard

The grieving husband of French movie icon Brigitte Bardot has revealed she had undergone two operations for cancer before she succumbed to the disease last month.

Politics

2 w. ago Brigitte Bardot laid to rest in funeral ceremony broadcast across Saint

Service attended by singers, animal rights activists, and public figures including Marine Le PenBrigitte Bardot, the film star turned animal rights activist, will be laid to rest in her home town of Saint-Tropez on Wednesday during a funeral attended by her favourite politician, the far-right leader Marine Le Pen.Bardot died at her La Madrague villa on 28 December aged 91. Her funeral is being held at the Notre-Dame de l’Assomption church and broadcast on large screens across the town. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago France bids adieu to Brigitte Bardot: Mourners including hard

The grieving husband of French movie icon Brigitte Bardot has revealed she had undergone two operations for cancer before she succumbed to the disease last month.

Events

2 w. ago Brigitte Bardot died of cancer, her grieving husband reveals as mourners gather for St Tropez funeral with hard

The grieving husband of French movie icon Brigitte Bardot has revealed she had undergone two operations for cancer before she succumbed to the disease last month.

Events

3 w. ago French public broadcaster under fire as right sets up parliamentary inquiry

Investigation established by UDR party to look at ‘neutrality, workings and financing’ of state TV and radioThe French public broadcaster is at the centre of a political row as a parliamentary inquiry examines the “neutrality, workings and financing” of state TV and radio, while the media are expected to play a significant role ahead of the 2027 presidential election.The rightwing UDR party, an ally of Marine Le Pen’s far-right the National Rally (RN), set up the inquiry amid far-right claims that public TV and radio has a bias against them. Le Pen, whose party is expected to reach the final round of the presidential race, has said “there is a clear problem with neutrality in the public service broadcasting” and that she would like to privatise it. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago France fears ‘era of Trumpism’ as public broadcaster comes under fire from right

Investigation established by UDR party to look at ‘neutrality, workings and financing’ of state TV and radioThe French public broadcaster is at the centre of a political row as a parliamentary inquiry examines the “neutrality, workings and financing” of state TV and radio, while the media are expected to play a significant role ahead of the 2027 presidential election.The rightwing UDR party, an ally of Marine Le Pen’s far-right the National Rally (RN), set up the inquiry amid far-right claims that public TV and radio has a bias against them. Le Pen, whose party is expected to reach the final round of the presidential race, has said “there is a clear problem with neutrality in the public service broadcasting” and that she would like to privatise it. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Brigitte Bardot’s image complicated by her controversial politics

Film star turned animal rights activist was anti-immigration and was repeatedly convicted of racial hatred, particularly towards Muslims Brigitte Bardot – a life in picturesBrigitte Bardot, hailed as the French Marilyn Monroe, was the first major film star to channel her glamour and fame into supporting France’s far right, who she backed for more than 30 years.Up until her death on Sunday, Bardot had expressed her contentment at Marine Le Pen’s anti-immigration National Rally party’s rising share of the vote before the 2027 presidential race. Continue reading...

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