France

The trial of former French president Nicolas Sarkozy came to a close this week, ending three months of exhaustive examination of allegations that the right-wing politician had struck a bargain with Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi to finance his 2007 bid for office. It’s a story with all the makings of a seedy spy thriller – and one that won’t reach its conclusion until September. 

French industry chief warns against European disunity on trade as Italian PM heads to the White House.

Marine Le Pen was at the heart of a system to create phony contracts directing millions in EU funding to her inner circle and party officials.

French courts on Monday banned far-right leader Marine Le Pen from running for office for five years, ruling out the frontrunner for France’s 2027 presidential race. As Le Pen now faces a lengthy appeal process, her 29-year-old protégé Jordan Bardella could well become the National Rally’s new presidential candidate. 

The move comes amid strained relations between France and the North African country which began deteriorating last July

European far-right leaders from Hungary's PM Viktor Orban to the Netherlands' Geert Wilders rallied in support of their French ally Marine Le Pen on Monday, expressing shock and anger at her conviction for embezzlement in France, which will bar the National Rally figurehead from a fourth presidential run in 2027.

A court’s conviction of the far-right leader for embezzlement and its ban on her running for office have set off a new crisis for France.

The popular right-wing French lawmaker has been barred from seeking public office over financial misconduct

Tech entrepreneur, who is facing charges in France, traveled to Dubai after officials temporarily relaxed bail conditions 

The French president wants to conquer Russia just as the two European dictators aspired to, Moscow’s foreign minister has said

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot on Wednesday called for European governments to co-operate on restricting immigration from countries that refuse to take back undocumented migants who are facing deportation from Europe. 

French President Emmanuel Macron promised his Lebanese presidential counterpart Joseph Aoun that ‘France will remain by your side” as he pledged financial aid to help rebuild Lebanon while also urging the ‘acceleration’ of an Israel-Hezbollah truce during a press conference in Beirut on Friday.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot on Wednesday warned Donald Trump against threatening the EU's "sovereign borders" after the US president-elect refused to rule out military action to take control of Greenland, an autonomous territory of EU member Denmark.

Former paratrooper led National Front party for decades and courted controversy, being repeatedly fined for contesting crimes against humanity

Former French President Nicholas Sarkozy goes on trial on Monday on charges he accepted some 50 million euros in illegal campaign financing from late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi. Sarkozy, who has been twice convicted for separate crimes since leaving office, has described the allegations as part of a conspiracy against him.

Christmas in France would not be complete without free-flowing champagne, oysters or a bûche de Noël. And the French holiday season is longer than most – stretching into the New Year with Epiphany (January 6) and its traditional galettes des rois into February with Chandeleur (Candlemas).  

Centrist François Bayrou had promised a ‘national interest government’ across the middle political ground but ended up leaning to the conservative right