https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from France in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed 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.fr/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 The dominant figure on France's far right, Marine Le Pen, is pressing ahead with a presidential bid despite an embezzlement conviction, in a gamble that could test her appeal among undecided voters. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260709/whats-next-for-frances-presidential-race-after-le-pen-legal-gamble Thu, 09 Jul 2026 08:47:20 +0200 whats-next-for-frances-presidential-race-after-le-pen-legal-gamble France's far-right supremo Marine Le Pen hit the campaign trail on Wednesday fresh off her announcement she would run for president despite an embezzlement conviction. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260708/le-pen-hits-campaign-trail-morning-after-announcing-run Wed, 08 Jul 2026 14:09:36 +0200 le-pen-hits-campaign-trail-morning-after-announcing-run Marine Le Pen has officially announced her candidacy for the 2027 French presidential race despite an appeals court confirming her conviction for embezzlement. So will Le Pen's decision to run instead of leaving the path clear for Bardella make victory more likely? https://www.thelocal.fr/20260630/explained-would-le-pen-legal-loss-make-a-far-right-victory-in-france-less-likely Tue, 30 Jun 2026 14:41:11 +0200 explained-would-le-pen-legal-loss-make-a-far-right-victory-in-france-less-likely 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.fr/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 French prosecutors demanded on Tuesday that an appeal court maintain a five-year ban on far-right leader Marine Le Pen from holding public office for a European parliament fraud, stepping up threats to her presidential ambitions. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260204/french-prosecutors-stick-to-demand-for-five-year-ban-for-le-pen Wed, 04 Feb 2026 09:12:29 +0100 french-prosecutors-stick-to-demand-for-five-year-ban-for-le-pen A French magistrate says she was contacted by high-ranking American officials who asked her to intervene in Marine Le Pen’s appeal case against her conviction for embezzlement. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260121/us-officials-asked-french-magistrate-to-intervene-in-le-pen-trial Wed, 21 Jan 2026 17:29:54 +0100 us-officials-asked-french-magistrate-to-intervene-in-le-pen-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.fr/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 French far-right leader Marine Le Pen goes to court on Tuesday to appeal an embezzlement conviction, with her 2027 presidential ambitions hanging in the balance. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260113/frances-le-pen-in-court-with-presidency-bid-on-the-line Tue, 13 Jan 2026 10:21:47 +0100 frances-le-pen-in-court-with-presidency-bid-on-the-line French far-right leader Marine Le Pen faces a pivotal appeal trial next week, in an embezzlement case that could derail her 2027 presidential bid. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260109/le-pen-appeal-trial-to-open-next-week-with-presidential-bid-at-stake Fri, 09 Jan 2026 10:39:15 +0100 le-pen-appeal-trial-to-open-next-week-with-presidential-bid-at-stake Far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who needs to have a graft conviction overturned to seize her best chance at the French presidency, risks seeing her life's work upended if she loses her appeal. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260109/le-pen-french-far-right-leader-battling-for-political-survival-2 Fri, 09 Jan 2026 10:42:23 +0100 le-pen-french-far-right-leader-battling-for-political-survival-2 French far-right leader Marine Le Pen has lost the latest round in her legal battle to prevent herself from being banned from public office in France, following her conviction for embezzlement. https://www.thelocal.fr/20250604/marine-le-pen-loses-latest-round-of-legal-battle-against-ban-from-politics Wed, 04 Jun 2025 13:50:34 +0200 marine-le-pen-loses-latest-round-of-legal-battle-against-ban-from-politics 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.fr/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.fr/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 Far-right leader Marine Le Pen told a TV interview that she intends to 'keep fighting' to run for the presidency after a conviction for embezzlement that saw her handed a five-year ban from politics. https://www.thelocal.fr/20250401/frances-le-pen-seeks-to-keep-presidency-hopes-alive-after-election-ban Tue, 01 Apr 2025 11:53:54 +0200 frances-le-pen-seeks-to-keep-presidency-hopes-alive-after-election-ban 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.fr/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 The political ramifications of the Le Pen case are potentially enormous for France - but what's the trial itself all about? https://www.thelocal.fr/20240930/french-far-right-chief-le-pen-in-high-stakes-embezzlement-trial Mon, 30 Sep 2024 10:44:57 +0200 french-far-right-chief-le-pen-in-high-stakes-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.fr/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.fr/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.fr/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