11:47⇢Le Pen Barred From French Presidency After EU Fraud Conviction
⌨The newspapers report extensively on Marine Le Pen's conviction for misappropriation of EU funds, with a Paris court sentencing her to four years in prison (potentially with electronic monitoring) and declaring her ineligible for office for five years (Adnkronos, ANSA, Avvenire, Corriere, HuffPost, Il Giornale, La Repubblica, Sky TG24). The fraud involved €2.9 million used to finance party staff through fictional EU parliamentary assistant contracts between 2004-2016. The verdict effectively removes Le Pen from the 2027 French presidential race. Jordan Bardella called it "the execution of democracy," while Putin, Orban, and Salvini expressed solidarity. Meanwhile, European markets are falling amid concerns over upcoming reciprocal tariffs (Il Sole 24 Ore).