https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Europe in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed From residency permits to citizenship and access to healthcare and jobs, what would a 'President Marine Le Pen' mean for the daily lives of foreigners in France? With the far-right party ahead in the polls we take a look at its policies on key issues. https://www.thelocal.com/20260911/what-would-a-le-pen-presidency-mean-for-foreigners-in-france Fri, 11 Sep 2026 10:46:00 +0200 what-would-a-le-pen-presidency-mean-for-foreigners-in-france The party is still leading the polls for next year's French election, but as John Lichfield reports there are increasing tensions within the far right Rassemblement National party, particularly between Marine Le Pen and her deputy Jordan Bardella. https://www.thelocal.com/20260909/opinion-in-the-french-far-right-the-rift-widens-between-le-pen-and-bardella Wed, 09 Sep 2026 09:34:26 +0200 opinion-in-the-french-far-right-the-rift-widens-between-le-pen-and-bardella As the 2027 French presidential election campaign gets underway in earnest, polls show Marine Le Pen with a commanding lead - John Lichfield looks at whether a far right victory is really a foregone conclusion. https://www.thelocal.com/20260902/opinion-le-pen-looks-unbeatable-but-her-own-arrogance-and-laziness-may-be-her-undoing Wed, 02 Sep 2026 09:16:27 +0200 opinion-le-pen-looks-unbeatable-but-her-own-arrogance-and-laziness-may-be-her-undoing As Marine Le Pen prepares herself for her great election gamble, French academic Emile Chabal explores the similarities with populists Nigel Farage and Donald Trump - and whether these tactics will work in France. https://www.thelocal.com/20260806/let-the-people-judge-me-how-marine-le-pen-and-nigel-farage-learned-a-potent-populist-tactic-from-donald-trump Thu, 06 Aug 2026 10:56:11 +0200 let-the-people-judge-me-how-marine-le-pen-and-nigel-farage-learned-a-potent-populist-tactic-from-donald-trump Marine Le Pen has appealed against her second conviction for fraud but the appeal is itself deceitful, writes John Lichfield. The high priestess of “anti-system” French politics is trying to game the system. https://www.thelocal.com/20260722/opinion-why-le-pen-may-lose-if-she-wins-but-could-win-if-she-loses Wed, 22 Jul 2026 10:51:01 +0200 opinion-why-le-pen-may-lose-if-she-wins-but-could-win-if-she-loses A Paris appeals court said on Wednesday it will rule on July 7th in a fraud case against far-right leader Marine Le Pen, in what is expected to be a pivotal moment for French politics. https://www.thelocal.com/20260212/french-court-to-rule-on-july-7th-in-marine-le-pen-appeal-trial Thu, 12 Feb 2026 08:56:05 +0100 french-court-to-rule-on-july-7th-in-marine-le-pen-appeal-trial This week Marine Le Pen heads back to court in France in a case that could have a seismic impact on both French and European politics - here's a look at the case itself, what happens next and what this all means. https://www.thelocal.com/20260113/5-minutes-to-understand-the-le-pen-case-and-what-it-means-for-france-and-europe Tue, 13 Jan 2026 10:39:03 +0100 5-minutes-to-understand-the-le-pen-case-and-what-it-means-for-france-and-europe Is Marine Le Pen a victim of political persecution as her party claims? Of course not, argues John Lichfield. But that doesn't mean her political career is finished. https://www.thelocal.com/20250402/opinion-marine-le-pen-is-a-martyr-to-nothing-but-her-own-greed-and-arrogance Wed, 02 Apr 2025 10:57:02 +0200 opinion-marine-le-pen-is-a-martyr-to-nothing-but-her-own-greed-and-arrogance Marine Le Pen has been convicted of embezzlement and barred from running for office for the next five years - from appeals, constitutional questions and political rallies, here's what's next for her and her party. https://www.thelocal.com/20250331/what-next-for-marine-le-pen-and-the-french-far-right Mon, 31 Mar 2025 16:25:46 +0200 what-next-for-marine-le-pen-and-the-french-far-right French far-right leader Marine Le Pen and her eight co-defendants have been found guilty of embezzlement, and the court has imposed a ban on holding public office - to take effect immediately. https://www.thelocal.com/20250331/breaking-french-far-right-leader-le-pen-found-guilty-in-embezzlement-trial Mon, 31 Mar 2025 13:01:54 +0200 breaking-french-far-right-leader-le-pen-found-guilty-in-embezzlement-trial Marine Le Pen’s hopes of becoming President of the Republic in 2027 may end on Monday, writes John Lichfield. https://www.thelocal.com/20250326/opinion-le-pens-future-hangs-in-the-balance-and-france-is-heading-for-a-messy-constitutional-row Wed, 26 Mar 2025 10:05:48 +0100 opinion-le-pens-future-hangs-in-the-balance-and-france-is-heading-for-a-messy-constitutional-row A series of parliamentary showdowns are looming in France in which Marine Le Pen controls key votes - could her increasing threats to bring down the government have anything to do with her embezzlement trial and the threat of being barred from politics, asks John Lichfield. https://www.thelocal.com/20241127/opinion-as-court-verdict-looms-le-pen-now-seems-willing-to-bring-down-french-government Wed, 27 Nov 2024 10:59:52 +0100 opinion-as-court-verdict-looms-le-pen-now-seems-willing-to-bring-down-french-government Marine Le Pen was briefly a lawyer before she entered the family business and became a politician, writes John Lichfield. At her trial in Paris for stealing up to €7 million of public money, she is said by colleagues to have reverted enthusiastically to her old career. https://www.thelocal.com/20241016/opinion-le-pen-is-adopting-the-donald-trump-defence-at-her-embezzlement-trial Wed, 16 Oct 2024 11:22:05 +0200 opinion-le-pen-is-adopting-the-donald-trump-defence-at-her-embezzlement-trial The French far-right party's new leader is smooth, handsome and plausible - writes John Lichfield - but when the mask slips we see that the party's fundamental ideology remains deeply racist. https://www.thelocal.com/20240626/opinion-when-the-mask-slips-le-pens-party-reveals-its-fundamental-racism Wed, 26 Jun 2024 14:12:07 +0200 opinion-when-the-mask-slips-le-pens-party-reveals-its-fundamental-racism All polling suggests that Emmanuel Macron's party is heading for a humiliating defeat in Sunday's European elections - so what next? John Lichfield examines the options for France, and the likelihood of fresh elections being called. https://www.thelocal.com/20240605/analysis-what-next-for-france-after-macrons-likely-european-election-humiliation Wed, 05 Jun 2024 11:21:58 +0200 analysis-what-next-for-france-after-macrons-likely-european-election-humiliation France's main far-right party said on Tuesday that it will no longer sit in the EU parliament with the Alternative for Germany (AfD) faction, indicating it had lost patience with the controversies surrounding its German allies. https://www.thelocal.com/20240522/french-far-right-splits-with-germanys-afd-in-eu-parliament Wed, 22 May 2024 10:36:54 +0200 french-far-right-splits-with-germanys-afd-in-eu-parliament France's far-right standard-bearer Marine Le Pen has sued a Belgian party to stop it using her face on election pamphlets to drum up votes, her lawyer said on Wednesday. https://www.thelocal.com/20240516/frances-le-pen-sues-to-stop-belgian-far-right-using-her-image Thu, 16 May 2024 11:13:30 +0200 frances-le-pen-sues-to-stop-belgian-far-right-using-her-image Here is a safe prediction - writes John Lichfield - Jordan Bardella, an empty vessel with boy-band good looks, will “win” the French section of the European elections on June 9th. https://www.thelocal.com/20240502/opinion-the-french-far-rights-empty-vessel-bardella-is-set-to-win-big-in-europe Thu, 02 May 2024 12:42:51 +0200 opinion-the-french-far-rights-empty-vessel-bardella-is-set-to-win-big-in-europe When I interviewed Marine Le Pen a decade or so ago - writes John Lichfield - I asked her a would-be clever question: 'If you had been alive in June 1940, who would you have supported, Charles de Gaulle or Marshall Pétain?' https://www.thelocal.com/20240226/opinion-which-side-would-le-pen-be-on-in-world-war-iii-french-history-gives-a-clue Mon, 26 Feb 2024 11:03:18 +0100 opinion-which-side-would-le-pen-be-on-in-world-war-iii-french-history-gives-a-clue French prosecutors on Friday ordered far-right figurehead Marine Le Pen to stand trial over claims she used EU funds to finance party activities in France. https://www.thelocal.com/20231208/frances-le-pen-ordered-to-stand-trial-in-eu-funding-scandal Fri, 08 Dec 2023 17:49:57 +0100 frances-le-pen-ordered-to-stand-trial-in-eu-funding-scandal