Leader of France’s far-right National Rally and a prospective presidential candidate, Marine Le Pen, is set to stand trial in Paris on Monday over allegations of misusing European parliamentary funds.
Alongside her, more than 20 top party officials face similar accusations, with prosecutors claiming they employed parliamentary assistants who were actually working on party activities instead of performing their roles for the European Parliament, which was financing them.
Should Le Pen be convicted, she could be subjected to fines, imprisonment, and possibly barred from holding public office for up to a decade, dealing a serious blow to her hopes of running for the presidency.
She has denied wrongdoing, and party spokesman Laurent Jacobelli said, “We are going to prove that there is no system to embezzle money from the EU.”
“We are going to prove that it is possible to be an assistant to a European parliamentarian and get involved in the life of the RN (National Rally),” the spokesman told French media on Monday.
Upon arriving at court, Marine Le Pen expressed confidence, maintaining that neither she nor her colleagues had broken any political regulations. Her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, 96, the founder of the National Front (now the National Rally), is also facing charges but will not attend due to health reasons.
The case revolves around accusations of fraudulent employment arrangements dating back to 2015, covering parliamentary assistant contracts from 2004 to 2016.
Prosecutors claim that one of the individuals listed as a parliamentary assistant was actually serving as a bodyguard for Le Pen and her father.
They are seeking to reclaim over €3 million (£2.5 million), although the party has already reimbursed €1 million (£834,000), stating that this payment does not imply guilt.
The trial, anticipated to last nearly two months, comes as Le Pen, a former EU lawmaker and long-time party leader, prepares for a possible presidential bid in 2027.
She previously stepped down from leading the National Front in 2017 after running in the 2012, 2017, and 2022 presidential elections.
Le Pen’s political platform has focused on curbing immigration by limiting social benefits to French nationals and emphasising law enforcement and tax cuts.
Despite her party’s surprising third-place finish in the French parliamentary elections in June, where the left-wing bloc won the most seats, her party had recently secured a significant victory in the European Parliament elections. Following those elections, President Emmanuel Macron formed a right-leaning government.
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