Paris Politics reporter @politico.eu https://bsky.app/profile/victorglaf.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/victorglaf.bsky.social/post/3mgmo2safd22xDespite strong polling figures, the French far right still has a ways to go before actually reaching power And they're looking to the local elections next weekend as a launchpad ⬇️ https://www.politico.eu/article/first-stop-for-marine-le-pen-far-right-national-rally-before-gunning-for-the-presidency-local-elections-france/09 Mar 2026 10:38 +0000at://did:plc:6kwvinf4fhcvubqupybst3ut/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgmo2safd22xhttps://bsky.app/profile/victorglaf.bsky.social/post/3m6ypznh4mc26Grassroots populism VS. centrist-leaning social-liberalism The French left has two very different options to try and stop a far-right takeover, with only one spot up for grabs. My latest for @politico.eu https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-france-far-right-left-jordan-bardella-marine-le-pen-nato-elections02 Dec 2025 10:24 +0000at://did:plc:6kwvinf4fhcvubqupybst3ut/app.bsky.feed.post/3m6ypznh4mc26https://bsky.app/profile/victorglaf.bsky.social/post/3m2jbccsuz22pIn an incredible turn of events, France's Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has resigned after less than three weeks in office, pushing France even further into unchartered territory https://www.politico.eu/article/french-government-announces-resignation-sebastien-lecornu/06 Oct 2025 09:09 +0000at://did:plc:6kwvinf4fhcvubqupybst3ut/app.bsky.feed.post/3m2jbccsuz22phttps://bsky.app/profile/victorglaf.bsky.social/post/3lzntdzzcuc2wNicolas Sarkozy has been sentenced to five years in prison to be served immediately. He will be summoned in the coming weeks and go to jail. [contains quote post or other embedded content]25 Sep 2025 11:18 +0000at://did:plc:6kwvinf4fhcvubqupybst3ut/app.bsky.feed.post/3lzntdzzcuc2whttps://bsky.app/profile/victorglaf.bsky.social/post/3lznlm2dh7k25Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been found guilty taking part in a criminal association Sarkozy permitted his "close collaborators" to try to obtain funds from Gadhafi's Libyan regime ahead of his presidential run in 2007, the court found https://www.politico.eu/article/former-french-president-sarkozy-found-guilty-gadhafi-case/25 Sep 2025 08:59 +0000at://did:plc:6kwvinf4fhcvubqupybst3ut/app.bsky.feed.post/3lznlm2dh7k25https://bsky.app/profile/victorglaf.bsky.social/post/3lvdvyx6wds2cThe far-right National Rally has never been more popular, and stands a realistic chance of winning the presidency when the next election is held in 2027 But it remains constantly dogged by legal troubles. I looked into why ⤵️ https://www.politico.eu/article/france-far-right-finance-national-rally-marine-le-pen-elections-jordan-bardella-embezzlement/01 Aug 2025 14:58 +0000at://did:plc:6kwvinf4fhcvubqupybst3ut/app.bsky.feed.post/3lvdvyx6wds2chttps://bsky.app/profile/victorglaf.bsky.social/post/3ltjhvychac2uFrench police are currently raiding the far-right National Rally's headquarters Prosecutors tell POLITICO that the raid concerns allegations of illegal campaign financing during the 2022 French presidential campaign, legislative elections and the 2024 European election09 Jul 2025 09:11 +0000at://did:plc:6kwvinf4fhcvubqupybst3ut/app.bsky.feed.post/3ltjhvychac2uhttps://bsky.app/profile/victorglaf.bsky.social/post/3lsvj7q4crk2oAix-Marseille University, in the South of France, is looking to draw in U.S. researchers at risk of seeing their funding cut Last week, its President Eric Berton even likened the situation to that of European academics who fled persecution by Nazi Germany https://www.politico.eu/article/meet-first-academic-refugees-fleeing-us-france-science-program/01 Jul 2025 10:42 +0000at://did:plc:6kwvinf4fhcvubqupybst3ut/app.bsky.feed.post/3lsvj7q4crk2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/victorglaf.bsky.social/post/3ls27gykcl22vMEP Rima Hassan returned to Paris after joining the Gaza-bound Freedom flotilla and spending three days in Israeli custody I spoke with her about the experience, her political rise, what she hopes to achieve in Brussels and the controversies around her: https://www.politico.eu/article/rima-hassan-greta-thunberg-freedom-flotilla-palestine-gaza-israel-war/20 Jun 2025 14:05 +0000at://did:plc:6kwvinf4fhcvubqupybst3ut/app.bsky.feed.post/3ls27gykcl22vhttps://bsky.app/profile/victorglaf.bsky.social/post/3lqn3vryowk2fLes Républicains and the Socialists, the country’s old establishment parties, see a narrow window to reclaim relevance But the road ahead remains long after a decade of electoral disasters ⤵️ https://www.politico.eu/article/france-les-republicains-socialist-return-two-party-politics/02 Jun 2025 15:32 +0000at://did:plc:6kwvinf4fhcvubqupybst3ut/app.bsky.feed.post/3lqn3vryowk2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/victorglaf.bsky.social/post/3lphtj3ktn22zFrench Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau has won the leadership of the country's main conservative party — a win which will push the party even further to the right and could open a new chapter in his journey towards the presidential election https://www.politico.eu/article/bruno-retailleau-french-interior-minister-wins-leadership-of-top-conservative-party/18 May 2025 19:53 +0000at://did:plc:6kwvinf4fhcvubqupybst3ut/app.bsky.feed.post/3lphtj3ktn22zhttps://bsky.app/profile/victorglaf.bsky.social/post/3lnzbl5ktf227A deadly stabbing inside a French mosque has sparked accusations of double standards against the French government — and cast a spotlight on deeper issues of Islamophobia in France ⤵️ https://www.politico.eu/article/french-interior-minister-slow-response-deadly-mosque-stabbing/30 Apr 2025 07:29 +0000at://did:plc:6kwvinf4fhcvubqupybst3ut/app.bsky.feed.post/3lnzbl5ktf227https://bsky.app/profile/victorglaf.bsky.social/post/3lmenoow2cc2cFrance insists on the need for European unity on Trump tariffs as Meloni heads to Washington https://www.politico.eu/article/giorgia-meloni-donald-trump-visit-triggers-anxiety-in-france/09 Apr 2025 09:15 +0000at://did:plc:6kwvinf4fhcvubqupybst3ut/app.bsky.feed.post/3lmenoow2cc2chttps://bsky.app/profile/victorglaf.bsky.social/post/3lm5xbaqjkk2vMarine Le Pen claimed that millions of her supporters were outraged by last week’s verdict against her. Yet barely a few thousand showed up at a rally to support her today in Paris ⤵️ https://www.politico.eu/article/marine-le-pen-political-future-france-democracy-europe-verdict-embezzling-funds/06 Apr 2025 17:18 +0000at://did:plc:6kwvinf4fhcvubqupybst3ut/app.bsky.feed.post/3lm5xbaqjkk2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/victorglaf.bsky.social/post/3llstj3j2322qThe court of appeals announced that a new trial in Marine Le Pen's case could take place in 2026 If the decision to ban Le Pen from running immediately is overturned, she could still stand in the next presidential election — even if she's found guilty https://www.politico.eu/article/marine-le-pen-rule-appeal-summer-president-election/02 Apr 2025 07:11 +0000at://did:plc:6kwvinf4fhcvubqupybst3ut/app.bsky.feed.post/3llstj3j2322qhttps://bsky.app/profile/victorglaf.bsky.social/post/3llor2zuucs24The French far-right spent months in apparent denial about Marine Le Pen's looming legal troubles With the presidential candidate now convicted and barred from running for office, her top allies are resorting to attacks against the court system https://www.politico.eu/article/le-pen-codefendant-jesus-christ-also-was-found-guilty-and-he-was-innocent/31 Mar 2025 16:17 +0000at://did:plc:6kwvinf4fhcvubqupybst3ut/app.bsky.feed.post/3llor2zuucs24https://bsky.app/profile/victorglaf.bsky.social/post/3llnso66qqs2nLive from the Paris courthouse, where the verdict in Marine Le Pen's trial will be delivered in about an hour. If the court follows the prosecutor's recommendations, the far-right candidate could be barred from running in the next presidential election. @politico.eu31 Mar 2025 07:13 +0000at://did:plc:6kwvinf4fhcvubqupybst3ut/app.bsky.feed.post/3llnso66qqs2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/victorglaf.bsky.social/post/3llgz5bsd5c2lThe French far right could lose its presidential candidate, Marine Le Pen, if a court finds her guilty of embezzlement Monday. Yet despite the extraordinary stakes, her party has done little to prepare for a bad outcome ⬇️ https://www.politico.eu/article/france-marine-le-pen-2027-presidential-election-national-rally-european-parliament-assistant-trial/28 Mar 2025 14:20 +0000at://did:plc:6kwvinf4fhcvubqupybst3ut/app.bsky.feed.post/3llgz5bsd5c2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/victorglaf.bsky.social/post/3lleq74nb7226French prosecutors have requested that former president Sarkozy be sent behind bars for allegedly agreeing to take millions from former Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi to finance his 2007 election campaign https://www.politico.eu/article/nicolas-sarkozy-trial-france-prosecution-prison-sentence-muammar-gaddafi/27 Mar 2025 16:35 +0000at://did:plc:6kwvinf4fhcvubqupybst3ut/app.bsky.feed.post/3lleq74nb7226https://bsky.app/profile/victorglaf.bsky.social/post/3lledk42ogk2lDespite Marine Le Pen's imminent trial and her father's death earlier this year, the Le Pen family's mark on French politics appears to be stronger than ever Today's front-page story for @politico.eu ⤵️ https://www.politico.eu/article/marine-le-pen-trial-sentence-jean-marie-france-far-right-politics-jordan-bardella-national-rally/27 Mar 2025 12:48 +0000at://did:plc:6kwvinf4fhcvubqupybst3ut/app.bsky.feed.post/3lledk42ogk2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/victorglaf.bsky.social/post/3ll7h3kfowk2vTwo French far-right officials have been invited to an Israeli government conference despite decades-long accusations of antisemitism against their movement. The invitation has reignited tensions between Marine Le Pen and French Jewish organizations ⤵️ https://www.politico.eu/article/le-pen-family-member-heads-to-israel-for-historic-first-official-visit/25 Mar 2025 14:08 +0000at://did:plc:6kwvinf4fhcvubqupybst3ut/app.bsky.feed.post/3ll7h3kfowk2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/victorglaf.bsky.social/post/3lkl7us7rz22vCanadian Prime Minister Mark Carney chose France for his first trip abroad, taking a series of not-so-subtle digs at Trump and emphasizing the need for a stronger relationship between Canada and Europe https://www.politico.eu/article/canada-mark-carney-donald-trump-trip-abroad-with-implicit-digs/17 Mar 2025 13:06 +0000at://did:plc:6kwvinf4fhcvubqupybst3ut/app.bsky.feed.post/3lkl7us7rz22vhttps://bsky.app/profile/victorglaf.bsky.social/post/3lk3ptb3k7223Macron wants France to spend more on defense, but is vigorously against raising taxes With a hung parliament and no consensus on funding, the French president's plans for a better-funded military could face deadlock @laukaya.bsky.social @sarah-paillou.bsky.social https://www.politico.eu/article/france-russia-defense-welfare-vs-warfare-political-parties-divided/11 Mar 2025 09:09 +0000at://did:plc:6kwvinf4fhcvubqupybst3ut/app.bsky.feed.post/3lk3ptb3k7223