Le Pen back in the dock: the trial that’s shaking France

A trial of “immense significance” for the future of France began this week, said Florian Harms on T-Online (Berlin). Marine Le Pen, 57-year-old head of the far-right National Rally (RN) party, was convicted last year of embezzling millions of euros of EU funds, handed a four-year prison sentence and banned from running for office for the next five years.

But now she is appealing that conviction. And if she wins on appeal and goes on to win next year’s presidential election, as polls suggest she well might...