A French court’s decision to bar Marine Le Pen, the leader of the hard-right National Rally (RN), from running for president in 2027 sent shock waves through the country’s politics. The court found that Ms Le Pen and eight other politicians had spent money earmarked for use in the EU parliament to pay for staff in the RN. Her supporters accused the establishment of suppressing the election front-runner. Ms Le Pen has lodged an appeal. She welcomed a statement by the Paris Court of Appeal that it would issue a verdict in the summer of 2026.