CONTEXT: Marine Le Pen Found Guilty in EU Funds Embezzlement Case

Marine Le Pen, leader of France’s far-right National Rally, was found guilty today, in a major embezzlement case involving EU funds misused between 2004 and 2016.

Embezzlement: The EU’s anti-fraud office (OLAF) found that Marine Le Pen misused €136,994 in EU funds, while her father Jean-Marie Le Pen diverted over €303,000.

A Paris court later estimated the total damages at €2.9 million. Investigators allege Le Pen oversaw the misappropriation of up to €3.7 million.

• Conviction: Le Pen and 20 others, including MEPs and aides, misused EU money meant for parliamentary staff.

• Sentence: 4 years in prison (2 suspended via electronic monitoring), €100,000 fine.

• Political Ban: Barred from running for office for 5 years—effectively ending her 2027 presidential bid.

• Party Fine: National Rally fined €2 million.

🇫🇷 Bardella to Step In as Le Pen Barred from 2027 Race

With Marine Le Pen convicted of embezzlement and banned from public office for five years, National Rally President Jordan Bardella is now widely seen as the party’s likely candidate for France’s 2027 presidential election.

• Bardella, Le Pen’s 28-year-old protégé, has led the RN since 2022 but remains less prominent nationally.

• With Le Pen sidelined, Bardella must now fill the void and build his own public profile ahead of 2027.

• Bardella is now about to be the far-right’s de facto leader and a "shadow president" in opposition strategy.

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Brazil's Bolsonaro:

Situation faced by Le Pen mirrors what I am going through here.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico: von der Leyen called me idiot

“Today, I had a phone call with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

We discussed two topics. The first was the tariffs imposed against us [Europe]. She absolutely tore into me:

— Robert, what have you done? Why on earth did you negotiate with Trump like that? Are you out of your mind?

She berated me for half an hour… calling me a complete idiot.”

China, Japan and South Korea have reached a consensus that the countries will jointly respond to US tariffs.

Source: Chinese state media

Iranian MP Ahmad Naderi:

Observing Trump's behavior and rhetoric in his first term toward North Korea shows that possessing a nuclear bomb has kept it safe.

For a long time now, many elites and patriots of the country and the revolution have been demanding that the bomb be tested and announced. If we had nuclear weapons, Trump would not dare to threaten to bomb.

Deal or War? Iran Faces U.S. Deadline

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Tren de Aragua: A Venezuela-based criminal organization that emerged in Tocorón Prison. Involved in human trafficking, drug trade, and extortion, it has expanded across Latin America and the U.S. Led by “Niño Guerrero.”

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Elon Musk on Le Pen ban:

Radical left abuses the legal system to jail their opponents.

French Politician Jordan Bardella called for a "popular and peaceful mobilization" after Le Pen ban.

Former Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis:

When Turkey's courts ban Erdogan's frontrunning Presidential opponent, the liberal mind rebels and rejects forthwith Erdogan's argument that the law is the law.

When France's courts do the same, the liberal mind rejoices & parrots the law is the law. Mind-boggling hypocrisy!

White House:

Trump's tariffs will end unfair trade practices. Rest of the world will feel what the US public has felt.

White House:

Steps have been taken to ensure Signal chat issue does not happen again.

EU says it is ready to cooperate with new Syrian government.

Source: AFP

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen:

The court handed down a political decision.

Le Pen:

The court sought to deliberately block me from running in 2027.