French Court Acquits Former Minister of Fraud

François Bayrou, the president of MoDem party and a key ally of President Emmanuel Macron, was acquitted of fraud charges by French justice in connection with the case of parliamentary assistants. This verdict has come after a 7-year legal battle and opens up the possibility for Bayrou to return to the government. The court found that MoDem was involved in misusing European Parliament funds, but Bayrou was not implicated in the fraudulent scheme. Further, the court acquitted Bayrou due to lack of evidence linking him to the scheme. Bayrou's potential return to the government and his future in politics are now subjects of speculation.