The day was dominated by Marine Le Pen's legal saga. Morning headlines reported her sentence to a year with an electronic ankle tag for EU funds embezzlement, but with eligibility for the 2027 presidential election intact. Editors across the spectrum—from Welt to TAZ—led with the verdict, framing it as a political earthquake. By evening, Le Pen announced she would run despite the conviction, triggering a second wave of coverage. The NATO summit in Ankara provided a secondary thread, with Trump's arrival and demands for European defense spending drawing attention. German outlets highlighted the 'gold rush' in the arms industry and tensions over burden-sharing. Late at night, US airstrikes on Iran after tanker attacks briefly seized the agenda, but Le Pen's defiance remained the day's defining editorial priority.
