Five Polish men have been convicted of carrying out the theft on behalf of a Swedish man, Anders Hoegstroem, who helped found the far-right National Socialist Front party in Sweden in 1994.

BBC: Auschwitz museum unveils restored stolen sign

Such was the support for Jean-Marie Le Pen, the National Front leader, that he evicted the Socialist candidate, Lionel Jospin, in the first round.

ECONOMIST: Zut alors, even Britain is ahead