Hugh Schofield

Wildfires near Bordeaux in France’s Gironde region prompted the evacuation of about 55,000 people, adding to more than 220,000 evacuations across south-western France. Dry vegetation and strong winds made the fire erratic and difficult to control, with more than 150 homes destroyed in Le Porge and two firefighters killed earlier in the week. The response involved thousands of firefighters, military personnel, police and international support, while motorway closures and air-traffic restrictions disrupted travel. Fires also continued to spread across Spain, forcing more than 90,000 people to evacuate around Madrid and Ávila and opening a new front near Valencia. Spanish officials warned of worsening conditions, while Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called for a major public pact on the climate emergency.

Marine Le Pen will run for the French presidency while simultaneously appealing her criminal conviction to the Court of Cassation, a strategy that suspends her sentence and preserves her presumption of innocence but risks an adverse ruling during the campaign. Accepting the appeal court's decision would have enabled a normal campaign but implied guilt, while challenging it could delay enforcement of her electronic tag sentence until after the election if the court moves slowly. A faster ruling could, however, force her to serve the sentence at a politically damaging moment, depending on how the judges respond to concerns about strategic delay.

Marine Le Pen plans to run for the French presidency while appealing her conviction to the Court of Cassation, a strategy that suspends her sentence but risks the court issuing a ruling during the campaign. Accepting the appeal court decision would have allowed a normal campaign despite temporary electronic tagging, but might have implied admitting guilt. Her party appears to be counting on slow judicial proceedings, which could delay any final ruling until after the election, shielding her from serving the sentence if elected. However, a faster-than-usual decision by the court could disrupt her campaign and create political difficulties.

A pending appeals court ruling will determine whether Marine Le Pen can run in France’s 2027 presidential election after being convicted of misusing European Parliament funds. The court may uphold, reduce or overturn the five‑year ban on holding public office, a decision that would either end her candidacy or allow her to proceed despite legal uncertainty. Jordan Bardella is positioned as the National Rally’s substitute candidate should she be barred, though his relative inexperience raises questions. Legal complexities, including a potential appeal to the Cour de Cassation, could further disrupt the campaign timeline. Significant political stakes surround the ruling, which could reshape the balance within the French far‑right and influence voter choice heading into the election.