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Marine Le Pen, who has always said she is innocent, has slammed the ruling as a 'political decision'

Le Pen to appeal embezzlement conviction - source

Far-right leader Marine Le Pen and 11 others convicted in an embezzlement trial that shook French politics have lodged an appeal, a judicial source has said.

World • 11 Apr

Marine Le Pen vowed to appeal the ruling but said she was effectively excluded from running for president in 2027

Le Pen condemns ruling barring her from French presidency

A French court has barred French far-right leader Marine Le Pen from running in the 2027 presidential election after she was convicted of embezzlement, in a seismic ruling that could fuel global tensions over judicial efforts to police politics.

World • 01 Apr

Supporters of the French left wing Socialist Party (PS) watch a screen displaying the first results of the second round of France's legislative election

Leftist alliance leads French election, exit polls show

France was on course for a hung parliament in today's election, with a leftist alliance unexpectedly taking the top spot ahead of the far right, exit polls suggested.

France • 07 Jul 24

Emmanuel Macron declined his prime minister's offer to resign just hours before he dissolved the government

Resignations offered as Macron election fallout continues

When the French President Emmanuel Macron told his prime minister of his decision to call a snap election just hours before announcing it on television, Gabriel Attal tried to dissuade his boss asking him to accept his resignation instead, two sources told journalists.

France • 11 Jun 24

Only two French presidents before Emmanuel Macron have managed to secure a second term

Exit polls project Macron to retain French presidency

French President Emmanuel Macron has won re-election, convincingly defeating his rival Marine Le Pen.

World • 24 Apr 22

Mr Macron's strongest lines of attack were on a loan to Ms Le Pen's party for its 2017 campaign contracted through a Russian bank

Macron, Le Pen clash on Russia, EU in angry TV debate

French President Emmanuel Macronon Wednesday accused his far-right rival Marine Le Pen of being in thrall to Russian President Vladimir Putin over a years-old Russian bank loan to her party during a fiery TV debate ahead of Sunday's election.

World • 20 Apr 22

Ms Le Pen is challenging Emmanuel Macron in a presidential election with opinion polls showing Mr Macron edging ahead in next Sunday's second round runoff

French prosecutor studying anti-fraud report on Le Pen

French prosecutors are examining a report by the European Union's anti-fraud agency accusing far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen and members of her party of misappropriating thousands of euros' worth of EU funds.

World • 17 Apr 22

The results on Sunday night will reveal who has been the most convincing in their promise to protect the European citizen

Elections set to quantify rise of populism in Europe

This weekend 360 million voters will go to the polls across the EU to elect the next European Parliament. This time around Eurosceptic, nationalist and anti-immigrant parties are expected to capture as many as 30% of the seats, confronting the EU establishment with a real threat.

Elections 2019 • 21 May 19

Marine Le Pen was placed under formal investigation last March

Le Pen ordered to submit to psychiatric evaluation

A French court ordered Marine Le Pen to submit to a psychiatric evaluation as part of an investigation into her decision to post images of Islamic State executions on Twitter.

Europe • 20 Sep 18

National Assembly voted in November to strip the National Front president of her parliamentary immunity

France's Marine Le Pen charged over IS tweets

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen has been charged for posting on Twitter gruesome images of purported atrocities by Islamic State jihadists, prosecutors said.

World • 01 Mar 18

Marine Le Pen charged over EU funding scandal

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen has been charged over claims her party illegally claimed millions of euro from the European Parliament to pay for France-based staff, her lawyer said.

Europe • 30 Jun 17

Marine Le Pen is expected to be elected to the French national parliament this weekend

Marine Le Pen loses immunity in defamation case

The European Parliament has lifted the immunity of far-right leader Marine Le Pen in a defamation case, at the request of authorities in her native France.

World • 15 Jun 17

Emmanuel Macron's spokesman said 'he is going to make sure he will be vigilant in protecting the French people'

Macron tells Trump he will defend Paris climate deal

French President-elect Emmanuel Macron told his US counterpart Donald Trump in a telephone call this evening that he would defend a climate change deal agreed in Paris in 2015, his spokeswoman said.

Europe • 08 May 17

Emmanuel Macron will be the youngest leader in the current Group of Seven (G7) major nations

Macron: From unknown adviser to president of France

It has taken only three years for Emmanuel Macron to rise from being an unknown government adviser to being elected France's youngest head of state since Napoleon.

Europe • 08 May 17

Marine Le Pen delivers a speech at the Chalet du Lac in Paris after being defeated in the French presidential elections

Le Pen campaign fails to convince enough voters

French far-right nationalist Marine Le Pen had hoped to clinch the presidency with a campaign which capitalised on disillusion with the French political elite.

Europe • 08 May 17

Marine Le Pen wants to close borders and quit the euro currency, while Emmanuel Macron wants closer European cooperation and an open economy

Macron stretches lead in last throes of French campaign

Centrist French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron extended his lead in the polls over his far-right rival Marine Le Pen today, the final day of campaigning in a tumultuous election race.

French presidential election 2017 • 05 May 17

Opinion polls show Emmanuel Macron, a centrist, has roughly a 20 point lead over Marine Le Pen

French prosecutor investigating fake news claims

The French prosecutor's office has launched an inquiry into suspicions of fake news being spread to influence Sunday's presidential vote after far-right leader Marine Le Pen implied her rival Emmanuel Macron held an offshore account.

World • 04 May 17

Nicolas Dupont-Aignan would be Marine Le Pen's prime minister if she wins election

Le Pen announces eurosceptic for possible PM role

French far-right presidential hopeful Marine Le Pen said she would appoint eurosceptic Nicolas Dupont-Aignan as her prime minister if she was to be elected on 7 May.

News • 29 Apr 17

Marine Le Pen faces off with Emmanuel Macron in the second round of the French presidential election next weekend

Le Pen's replacement embroiled in Holocaust controversy

Far-right French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen's party changed its leader for the second time in four days this morning after her first stand-in was accused of praising the work of a Holocaust denier.

News • 28 Apr 17

Le Pen's party accused of €5m European Parliament fraud

The European Parliament has accused French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen's party of defrauding it of nearly €5m in expenses, more than twice an initial estimate, a French legal source has said.

French presidential election 2017 • 27 Apr 17

Emmanuel Macron gave a 15-minute speech on Sunday night and held his arms aloft in a V for victory

Macron criticised for taking victory for granted

French presidential favourite Emmanuel Macron has come under fire from both potential allies and his run-off rival Marine Le Pen for acting as if victory next month was already guaranteed.

World • 25 Apr 17

Jean-Marie and Marine Le Pen at a National Front event in 2014

Le Pen's father says campaign was too laid back

French far-right veteran Jean-Marie Le Pen has said his daughter Marine, who faces centrist Emmanuel Macron in a 7 May presidential run-off, should have campaigned more aggressively for Sunday's first round, following the example of US President Donald Trump.

French presidential election 2017 • 25 Apr 17

Marine Le Pen has promised to call a referendum and restore the national franc currency if elected as president in France

'Banks will not quit France if France quits euro'

Investors will not pull their money from France if it leaves the euro, according to Marine Le Pen, the far-right presidential candidate.

Business • 04 Apr 17

Emmanuel Macron is widely expected to win the election

Macron wins backing of Socialist heavyweight

French centrist Emmanuel Macron has received weighty backing in his bid to become president from Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, sources close to the minister have said.

Politics • 23 Mar 17

Francois Fillon is mired in a scandal over public money he paid his wife to be his parliamentary assistant

France's Fillon calls on party to unite around him

Francois Fillon has urged his conservative party to rally around him, saying he was the only legitimate candidate despite calls by many in his camp for him to pull out of the French presidential race over allegations of misuse of public funds.

News • 06 Mar 17