The conviction of Marine Le Pen

Le Pen found guilty of embezzlement and banned from running for office for five years.

Ban has fired the starting gun on a two-year campaign for the 2027 presidential election.

Le Pen had declared, ahead of the ruling, that such a ban would mean “condemning me to political death’.

Rather than kill off the RN, it may be more lethal to his government.

It survived a no-confidence vote in February only thanks to the abstentions of the RN and the Socialists.

Both parties could be more hostile to the government now after the ruling against Le Pen.