France’s constitutional court ruled that politicians can be barred from office immediately if convicted of a crime, raising the possibility that far-right leader Marine Le Pen could be disqualified from the 2027 presidential race if found guilty in her upcoming embezzlement trial.
France's constitutional court on Friday ruled local politicians can be barred from office immediately if convicted of a crime, leaving the door open for far-right leader Marine Le Pen to potentially be barred from the 2027 presidential race in an embezzlement trial concluding on Monday.
National Rally (RN) leader Le Pen, who leads polls for the 2027 presidential vote, accuses prosecutors of seeking her "political death" by asking judges to bar her from office for five years if convicted.
Should Le Pen receive a so-called "provisional execution" ban, which would be effective immediately even if she appeals, she would be unable to stand in the 2027 election. She has denied wrongdoing.
Robin Binsard, a lawyer who represents another disbarred politician, said the court's ruling was "absolutely" negative for Le Pen as "the judges retain the possibility of ordering ineligibility with provisional execution".
The court in Friday's case dismissed a challenge from a disbarred Mayotte councilman who disputed the legality of his "provisional execution" ban, which means having to quit their jobs immediately if convicted, rather than waiting for an appeals process to run its course.
In its ruling, the court said the "provisional execution" of an ineligibility sentence did not infringe on rights such as freedom of expression and so was legal.
In Le Pen's case, prosecutors have asked judges to impose an immediate five-year ban regardless of any appeal, via the same "provisional execution" measure.
A provisional execution ban would not see Le Pen removed from her seat in parliament until her mandate ends, but it would prevent her from running in any fresh electoral contest.
Le Pen, the RN and some two dozen party figures are accused by prosecutors of diverting over 3 million euros ($3.27 million) of European Parliament funds to pay staff working for the party in France.
The defendants say the money was used legitimately and that the allegations incorporate too narrow a definition of what a parliamentary assistant does.
India has finalized a $7.41 billion agreement with France to purchase 26 Rafale fighter jets for its navy, a defence ministry official confirmed to Reuters on Monday.
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Spanish power grid operator Red Electrica said it was working with energy companies to restore power after large parts of Spain and Portugal were hit by a power outage on Monday.
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Roman Catholic cardinals will meet in a secret conclave to elect the new leader of the global Church starting from May 7, a senior Vatican source said on Monday.
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A deadly attack targeting tourists in India’s Jammu and Kashmir territory has left at least 20 feared dead, marking the deadliest incident against civilians in the region for years, according to security sources.
The Kremlin announced Monday that Russia will implement a full ceasefire in Ukraine from May 8 to May 10, coinciding with its celebrations of Victory Day over Nazi Germany. The truce, ordered by President Vladimir Putin for "humanitarian reasons," will begin at midnight on May 8 (2100 GMT, May 7).
Greece plans to equip its railways with remote control systems and real-time tracking by September, aiming to improve safety after the country’s deadliest train disaster.
Spanish power grid operator Red Electrica said it was working with energy companies to restore power after large parts of Spain and Portugal were hit by a power outage on Monday.
SIPRI’s annual report, released Monday, said global military expenditure reached $2.72 trillion in 2024, a 9.4% increase from 2023 and the largest year-on-year rise since the Cold War's end. This marks the tenth straight year of growth.
Roman Catholic cardinals will meet in a secret conclave to elect the new leader of the global Church starting from May 7, a senior Vatican source said on Monday.
The Kremlin announced Monday that Russia will implement a full ceasefire in Ukraine from May 8 to May 10, coinciding with its celebrations of Victory Day over Nazi Germany. The truce, ordered by President Vladimir Putin for "humanitarian reasons," will begin at midnight on May 8 (2100 GMT, May 7).
Greece plans to equip its railways with remote control systems and real-time tracking by September, aiming to improve safety after the country’s deadliest train disaster.
Spanish power grid operator Red Electrica said it was working with energy companies to restore power after large parts of Spain and Portugal were hit by a power outage on Monday.
SIPRI’s annual report, released Monday, said global military expenditure reached $2.72 trillion in 2024, a 9.4% increase from 2023 and the largest year-on-year rise since the Cold War's end. This marks the tenth straight year of growth.
Roman Catholic cardinals will meet in a secret conclave to elect the new leader of the global Church starting from May 7, a senior Vatican source said on Monday.
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