French Far-Right Leader Marine Le Pen Faces Trial Over Alleged EU Fund Misappropriation

Marine Le Pen, the leader of France’s far-right National Rally (RN) party, is set to stand trial in a Paris criminal court on Monday, along with 26 co-defendants, over allegations of misappropriation of European Union funds. This trial, nearly a decade in the making, provides Le Pen with an opportunity to defend her reputation as she seeks to reshape the party’s image for future governance.

The case revolves around accusations that Le Pen and others misused funds intended for EU parliamentary activities to pay staff working for the RN, previously known as the National Front. While EU lawmakers receive financial support for assistants, these funds are not meant for party operations. Critics argue that many smaller parties, including the RN, have exploited this system.

Le Pen faces charges both as a party leader and as an EU lawmaker accused of hiring fictitious assistants. Among the evidence is a claim that Thierry Legier, one of the defendants, served as a bodyguard for Le Pen while drawing a salary as a parliamentary assistant from 2005 to 2012. Despite the serious nature of the charges, RN officials maintain that Le Pen is unfazed, arguing that the party’s understanding of assistant roles differs from that of the European Parliament and that Marine Le Pen was not worried about the trial.

“She knows that what we are accused of is having a different understanding, as a French party, of what an assistant role is, compared with the European Parliament’s understanding,” RN lawmaker and party spokesman Laurent Jacobelli said.

If convicted, Le Pen and her co-defendants could face up to 10 years in prison, a fine of one million euros, and a five-year ban from public office. This legal battle comes as Le Pen prepares for a potential run in the 2027 presidential election, having lost to Emmanuel Macron in both 2017 and 2022.

The investigation into the RN began in 2016, following a 2015 report from the European Parliament president to the French justice minister that triggered a police probe. Investigators looked at the situation of 49 RN parliamentary assistants over the past three European Parliament terms. They charged 11 RN members of the EU assembly, including Marine Le Pen and her father, for misappropriation of EU funds, and charged 13 parliamentary assistants with receiving the funds.

The trial is set to continue until November 27, while the RN also faces a separate investigation into alleged illegal financing of its 2022 presidential campaign. Jean-Marie Le Pen, the party’s founder and Marine’s father, will not be attending the trial due to health issues.

Melissa Enoch

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