A recent ruling by the French court has blocked Marine Le Pen, leader of hard-right party National Rally (RN), from running in the 2027 presidential election. The decision comes after an investigation found that Ms Le Pen and eight other politicians used EU parliament funds to pay for RN staff. Her supporters claim the ruling is a move to suppress her chances of winning. Despite this, Marine Le Pen has appealed the verdict and expressed hope for a summer 2026 verdict from the Paris Court of Appeal.
Source: https://www.economist.com/the-world-this-week/2025/04/03/politics