Marine Le Pen banned from standing for office for five years

Written by: Aarthi Ramnath, Raghav Bikhchandani & Yash Budhwar

Marine Le Pen banned from standing for office for five years

The context: The French hold two separate national elections—one to elect the president, and the other to elect members of Parliament. Marine Le Pen—chief of the far-right National Rally and daughter of the party’s fascist founder Jean-Marie—was walloped by Emmanuel Macron in the 2022 presidential election (see this Big Story).

But in recent years, Le Pen has been overshadowed by her heir—28-year-old Jordan Bardella—who was the face of the party’s parliamentary election campaign in 2024 (see this Big Story). National Rally was predicted to be the single largest party—but an alliance of Left parties took that honour. The reason: Macron’s centrist coalition and left-leaning parties withdrew candidates to avoid splitting the vote—to keep the National Rally out of power. In other words, it was a close call.

What happened now: In a shocking turn of events, Le Pen has been convicted of embezzling EU funds and sentenced to four years in prison. Out of which, two years “could be served under surveillance wearing an ankle bracelet, while the two further years are suspended." The real catch is that the conviction also bars her from holding any political office for five years. This means she can’t run for the 2027 Presidential Elections. These elections offer a critical political opportunity for the National Rally—because Macron cannot run again due to term limits.

Point to note: She has appealed the verdict—and her prison sentence is suspended until courts rule. But the electoral ban takes effect asap—which kills her political career. FYI: Almost no one in France expected this ruling—including Le Pen’s rivals.

The charges: These date back to Le Pen’s stint as an MP at the European Parliament—the EU’s legislative body—from 2004 to 2016. In essence, she is accused of using $4.8 million in parliamentary funds—allocated to pay her assistants—to pay party bills:

The payment system, judges said, allowed Le Pen to hand out sizable salaries to members of her inner circle, though Le Pen didn’t enrich herself. Judges say Le Pen essentially used the payments to prop up her party’s machine at a time when National Rally’s was financially stretched.

As a result, the party will also take a financial hit of €2 million.

Fasten your seatbelts: Le Pen’s response to the verdict was ominous—denouncing what she called a "political" decision by the judge and a "violation of the state of law.” Yup, that’s a twist on Donald Trump’s ‘stolen election’ campaign. Most expect her to take a similar route:

“After Ms. Le Pen, the next direct target of a big political battle is going to be the rule of law,” said Alain Duhamel, a prominent political scientist. “There will be accusations that this is a government of judges, attacks on our highest court, not just from the National Rally but the center right,” he said, naming Ms. Le Pen’s party. But, he added, “French magistrates are resolutely independent.”

OTOH, it will also make Le Pen a martyr—and supporters are expected to rally around the National Rally flag.

The fallout: The highly divided French parliament is already in gridlock—expect that paralysis to get worse.

Why you should care: The response to the Le Pen verdict in the rest of the world—from Moscow to Washington and Sofia—is unprecedented. A number of heads of state echoed National Rally’s talking points:

Matteo Salvini, Italy’s hard-right deputy prime minister, said those “who are afraid of voters’ judgment” often seek reassurance from courts’ judgment. Viktor Orban, the Hungarian prime minister, said that he stood with Ms. Le Pen. In Moscow, Dmitri Peskov, the Kremlin’s spokesman, said, “More and more European capitals have opted for the violation of democratic norms.”

Orban actually tweeted “Je suis Marine!”—positioning her as the champion of free speech a la Charlie Hebdo.

As for Washington: No prizes for guessing the White House’s reaction to the “exclusion of people from the political process”—but as usual, Elon Musk took the prize: “When the radical left can’t win via democratic vote, they abuse the legal system to jail their opponents. This is their standard playbook throughout the world.”

The big picture: We now live in an era where heads of democratic nations undermine the legitimacy of the rule of law—in their own country and in others. New York Times has the big picture—while BBC News looks at the effect on the National Rally. The Guardian and CNN have the reporting on her embezzlement case. Politico has the analysis on her possible next move and where Jordan Bardella figures in all this.

A super drug for genetic heart disease risk?

To explain the drug, we first have to give you gyaan about heart attacks… so please bear with us.

The basics: There are two types of lipoproteins that are associated with the risk of heart diseases—Lp(a) vs. LDL. What’s the difference? Most of us know about low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the so-called “bad” cholesterol that clogs arteries. It’s often linked to diet and lifestyle factors—and can be managed with statins, diet, and exercise.

It’s in your genes: The other lesser known villain is lipoprotein(a) or Lp(a), a stickier type of cholesterol:

This type of lipoprotein is comprised of an extra protein, called apolipoprotein(a) or apo(a), that is stickier than other types of LDL, so it may be more likely to cause blockages and blood clots in your arteries.

As a result, you are at a 25% higher risk of a heart attack or stroke due to Lp(a). And very high levels can double that risk. The really bad news: elevated Lp(a) is inherited:

Having an elevated Lp(a) is almost entirely determined by the genes you inherit... In fact, Lp(a) levels are 70% to 90% genetically determined. Unfortunately, lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise do not reduce Lp(a), and most of the commonly used preventive strategies for those with risk factors for [cardiovascular diseases] are ineffective.

Point to note: 20% of people worldwide—around 1.4 billion individuals—are at risk. Worse: since Lp(a) is bundled with LDL in blood tests, most people don’t even know they have it.

Finally, on to the new drug: Enter lepodisiran, an experimental injectable drug from Eli Lilly that has performed shockingly well in trials. It slashed Lp(a) levels by a whopping 93.9% after just one or two doses of 400 mg—given over six months. There were zero adverse effects. Cardiologists are describing the evidence provided by the study—published in the New England Journal of Medicine—as “thrilling.”

The bigger picture: Tackling genetic heart disease by lowering Lp(a) “is a huge new frontier in cardiovascular medicine.” And Eli Lilly’s drug is just the first out of the gate with early results. But, but, but: The company has yet to hold large-size trials. Most importantly: The drug dramatically lowers Lp(a) levels—but we don’t know if it will reduce the actual number of heart attacks or strokes. Reminder: Doctors were all gung-ho about HDL aka good cholesterol. But drugs to boost HDL levels had little effect.

Reading list: Reuters has the overview on lepodisiran and the trial’s results. To find out more about the quiet threat of Lp(a), check out this factsheet by Amgen and this article by New York Times.

IT burnout is real… and getting worse

A new survey shows that an Indian IT job is more a curse than blessing—with extremely high rates of burnout. It found that 72% of respondents routinely exceed the 48-hour workweek limit—with 25% logging in 70+ hours. All of which adds up to a scary burnout rate of 83%. The survey looked at the biggest names in the biz: Confluent, Intuit, UiPath, Adobe, Uber, InMobi, Salesforce, Walmart, Oracle, Amazon, and Microsoft. In fact, the big boys were often the worst: Over 90% of employees at Cisco, InMobi, Salesforce and Intel experienced burnout.

Point to note: The so-called perk of working remotely during the pandemic has made the IT workplace even more toxic:

The survey also highlights that 68% of IT professionals feel compelled to respond to work-related messages outside official hours, a behavior partly rooted in remote work habits from the pandemic era but now ingrained in corporate culture.

This culture is enforced not just by the boss:

The root cause of these extreme work habits appears to be systemic pressure to overwork. A staggering 75% of professionals either feel pressured themselves or have observed colleagues being pushed to work beyond standard hours.

The Hindu has lots more data and a chart of the worst offenders.

Fake AI trailers ki dukhi kahaani

Two massive Youtube channels Screen Culture and KH Studio are popular for their AI-generated fake movie trailers—especially for much-awaited Marvel and DC films. No surprise, these trailers rack up views and money. But a recent Deadline report found that big studios—Warner Bros. Discovery and Sony—are secretly taking a cut from these profits:

Instead of enforcing copyright on counterfeit commercials.. a handful of Hollywood studios are asking YouTube to ensure that the ad revenue made from views flows in their direction. Quite why they are doing this is a mystery.. but it raises questions about their willingness to take cash for content that exploits their IP and talent, at a time when there is an existential crisis about how copyright collides with AI.

An enraged actors’ union SAG-AFTRA described the reveal as a “race to the bottom.” The fallout: The reporting spurred YouTube into immediate action. Screen Culture and KH Studio are now banned from monetizing these trailers. What it reads like: If the big studios can’t make money from fake trailers—then no one can. You can see the two fake trailers that kicked off the row below below.

Here is the fake trailer for Squid Games—with Leonardo Di Caprio.

And this trailer for Fantastic Four: First Steps—featuring really bad AI.

We highly recommend reading the original Deadline investigation. Gizmodo has more on the ban.

Support this sanctuary: An important appeal for Bangalore’s dogs

As you well know, we are mad about animals over here at splainer—-so the shout-out for this fundraiser means a lot to us. Established in September 2024, Goodoo is an animal welfare organisation that is dedicated to rescuing, treating, releasing and rehoming injured, abused and abandoned dogs in the Bangalore area.

The organisation is currently over halfway short of its modest Rs 5 lakh goal—needed to build the inaugural shelter space for dogs. Every little bit of financial contribution counts—so please head over to Goodoo’s Milaap page if you can.

PS: One of the board members is Chitra Raghavan—who is a splainer subscriber and legal advisor from our very inception. So we have full faith in Goodoo’s integrity.

what caught our eye

business & tech

France’s antitrust watchdog slapped Apple with a €150 million fine—the first ever over its App Tracking Transparency tool.
The Indian government is set to own nearly 49% of Vodafone Idea after converting Rs 36,950 crore (Rs 369.5 billion) of the telco’s dues into equity, up from its previous 23% stake.
Trump says a TikTok sale deal will land before the April 5 deadline, insisting there's "tremendous interest" in it.
Haldirams is selling over 9% stake to Singapore’s Temasek in a deal that could top Rs 8,000 crore (Rs 80 billion), valuing the snack giant at $10 billion. It’s also in talks to offload another 6% to US-based Alpha Wave Global.
From Levi Strauss & Co to Marks & Spencer, and from Pepe Jeans London to Bestseller India, CEOs are rushing for the exit—in yet another sign of the dismal Indian retail landscape.
In an exclusive, Wall Street Journal details the growing clash between Apple and Musk as they battle to wipe out cellphone dead zones, with tensions over satellite expansion plans set to escalate.
AI experts say we’re heading down the wrong path to human-like AI, warning that current AGI approaches are flawed.

sports & entertainment

Jakub Mensik stunned Novak Djokovic to win his first career title at the Miami Open, but the Czech teen nearly pulled out of the tournament over a knee injury—only sticking around because the referee was out to lunch.
Just stuck to my process, said Ashwani Kumar after his dream IPL debut, where the young seamer from Mohali dazzled with 4/24 in three overs, helping restrict KKR to 116—setting the stage for Mumbai Indians to open their IPL 2025 account in style with an eight-wicket win at Wankhede.
In the midst of L2: ‘Empuraan’ being at the center of a political storm, and while the Malayalam film industry unions stay silent, famed actor Asif Ali boldly calls out social media's overblown influence and reminds audiences that cinema is for entertainment.
The Chinese animated blockbuster ‘Ne Zha 2’ is now breaking global records—it has become the fifth highest-grossing film of all-time.
Not doing well: ‘Sikandar’ which had the lowest opening day out of Salman Khan’s recent releases.

health & environment

Agence France-Presse via The Hindu has a cool story on the German team that has developed an AI-powered drone that can put out fires within 10 minutes. The team is one of thirty—that are part of a global competition.
Science Alert debates whether repressed memories are real—especially since there is no credible scientific evidence that confirms this.
This is for all the computer nerds—Ars Technica has a good read on a new compression format—called Spectral JPEG XL—which could store colour that is as close to what we see in IRL as possible.

meanwhile, in the world

The death toll from Myanmar’s quake has topped 2,000, but aid is only able to crawl in as the military blocks volunteers from reaching a rebel-held city hit hard by the disaster.
Weak oil prices are adding a bit of strain to Saudi Arabia’s ambitious infrastructure projects, such as Neom.
The Israeli military has ordered a sweeping evacuation of the southern Gaza city of Rafah and nearby Khan Younis.
Associated Press has a must-read on the growing global demand for Indonesian patchouli oil—and its debilitating impact on the rainforest.
In a repeat of its controversial policy from 2023, Pakistan plans to expel 3 million more Afghan refugees between April 10 and the end of the year.
Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore said they are partly responsible, as they defended Boeing Starliner’s capabilities, admitting they'd do it all over again despite their space sprint turning into a marathon.
It’s Harvard’s turn now: The Trump administration is reviewing billions in its funding after axing $400 million for Columbia and freezing $175 million for UPenn.
The latest victim of the Donald’s anti-DEI crusade—NASA’s graphic novels about women astronauts, which have now been wiped from the sarkaari space body’s website.
China has launched military drills around Taiwan, flexing its muscles with a show of force aimed at deterring alleged separatists.
Forget Bezos' glitzy wedding, Venice tells frustrated locals, who are fed up with the yearly flood of millions of tourists.

meanwhile, in India

A recent New York Times report claimed that Hindustan Aeronautics Limited sold weapon parts sourced from British aerospace company HR Smith Group to Russia. India’s response: “The said report is factually incorrect and misleading.”
Mumbai police went hunting for Kunal Kamra at a 10-year-old address, and the stand-up comic roasted them for wasting public resources, calling it a complete waste of time.
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh‘s mouthpiece Organiser published yet another article against the film, this time specifically targeting Prithviraj, calling him the “voice of the anti-nationals.” Note: The film is filling theatres.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut claimed that the RSS was ready to pick PM Modi’s successor—just a day after his visit to the headquarters of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in Nagpur. But but but: Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis quickly retorted that Modiji will hold office till the age of 75, dispelling the exit rumours.

One thing to see

Chennai’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium hosted an exhibition match—between Brazil Legends and India All-Stars—on Sunday. Though Brazil beat us 2-1, football fans witnessed the magic of legends like Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, and Lucio! The Indian team was no less—led by stalwarts IM Vijayan and Mehtab Hossain—who put up a spirited fight. Our fave moment: This IM Vijayan and Ronaldinho photo. More on the match report at Sportstar.