Overview

• Marine Le Pen, convicted of financial misconduct on March 31, 2025, has officially lost her local mandate as departmental councillor while appealing her five-year ineligibility order.
• The Rassemblement National (RN) and its supporters continue to denounce the ruling as politically motivated, intensifying public and parliamentary polarization.
• Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau has presented a six-month performance record, highlighting stricter immigration controls and security measures, as he campaigns for the presidency of Les Républicains (LR).
• Tensions at the National Assembly escalated as journalists from the far-right media outlet Frontières were forcibly removed during a protest, prompting debates over press freedom and parliamentary norms.
• Thirteen of the twenty-five individuals convicted in the RN funding case, including Le Pen, have filed appeals, with a second trial anticipated in 2026.