Key facts
- Marine Le Pen's eligibility for the 2027 French presidential election is under review.
- An appeals court will decide on July 7 whether to uphold Le Pen's conviction for embezzling EU funds.
- The conviction carries a potential five-year ban from holding electoral office.
- If Le Pen is unable to run, Jordan Bardella has been named as the party's candidate.
- A 14-year-old named Hamza has become a social media figure for disruptive behavior in Paris.
A French appeals court is set to rule on July 7 on Marine Le Pen's conviction for embezzling EU funds, a decision that could bar her from the 2027 presidential election. If Le Pen is unable to run, party leader Jordan Bardella has stated he will be the National Rally's candidate.
Le Pen, who has reached the second round of two previous presidential elections, faces a potential five-year ban from holding office. The humor column frames this potential political shift as a rivalry akin to that between composers Antonio Salieri and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Separately, a 14-year-old named Hamza has become a viral social media sensation in Paris for his public antics, including firing a water pistol at passersby, cyclists, and police, as well as shoplifting and pushing people into a canal. His actions have drawn contrasting reactions, with the left comparing him to Gavroche from Les Misérables and the right viewing him as a symbol of societal problems. Hamza has also been nicknamed 'Customs Hamza' for demanding money from cyclists.