Far-right politician Marine Le Pen awaits verdict for embezzlement trial

A leader in the far-right movement in France, Marine Le Pen is awaiting the judgment to be handed down by the Paris Correctional Court later today on whether she and her National Rally party embezzled European Parliament funds. Le Pen, 56, and dozens of other party officials are accused of violating the European Union (EU) regulations for using money intended for EU parliamentary aides to instead pay staff who worked for the party between 2004 and 2016. Le Pen and the 24 accused individuals (including member of the European Parliament, party officials, employees and assistants) have also been accused of faking European parliamentary “assistant” jobs, with individuals allegedly being hired under false pretences.

Prosecutors accused Le Pen and her co-defendants of trying to “turn the European Parliament into their cash cow.” The estimated amount of the allegedly embezzled funds totalled roughly €7 million ($12 million).A prosecutor in the case requested a five-year prison sentence for Le Pen and a five-year ban from holding or seeking to hold a political position, as well as a €300,000 ($514,000) fine.



During the nine-week trial, which began in September 2024 and culminated in the indictments on November 13, Le Pen and the other co-defendants have continued to deny any wrongdoing. The three-time presidential candidate said at the start of the trial last year; “We have not broken any rules.” If convicted, Le Pen could be declared ineligible to seek public office and barred from a fourth presidential candidacy in 2027.

If found guilty, the leader is expected to appeal the decision, which would call for a new trial to be held. Any prison sentence or fine will be put off until the appeal hearing is judged. Despite this, judges have the power to waive any ban on running for office if Le Pen is convicted.

If she is given an immediate five-year ban against standing for public office, it is unlikely Le Pen will see her name on the 2027 presidential ballot unless the appeal process is expedited and she is allowed to stand. On Friday, France’s constitutional council ruled that local politicians can be barred from office immediately if convicted of a crime.Asked if she was concerned for her political future, Le Pen replied last week; “I’m not thinking about it.

Fear doesn’t remove the danger so I don’t see any interest in guessing in advance. I consider myself completely innocent of what I have been accused, so if my guilt is declared then I will use the law to again defend my innocence.”The far-right leader of the anti-immigrant party has said in the past that if she is found guilty, the verdict would indicate “a very violent attack on the will of the people” — threatening the democratic process and spelling her “political death.

” Earlier this month, French daily newspaper Le Figaro polled its readers on Le Pen’s popularity, suggesting over forty per cent of French people wanted her to stand in 2027. Formerly National Front, the National Rally has been led by Le Pen since 2011. She is the youngest daughter of Jean-Marie Le Pen — the founder of the party, who died in January this year.

Earlier this year, Le Pen told reporters at a press conference that any mention of her father’s historical actions when discussing her own agenda was “inelegant.”“It has been years that we frequent our fellow lawmakers in a fruitful and respectful fashion,” she said. “Those who insist on continuing to refer to us as the National Front are proving that they don’t have much to say about us.

”She has thrice run for president — once in 2012, when she placed third; in 2017, when she lost to Macron in the second round of voting; and in 2022, when she was beaten by Macron. In 2021, Le Pen appointed Jordan Bardella as RN president. In a recent TV-interview, the 29-year old was asked whether he would run for president regardless of Le Pen’s verdict, he said: “She won’t be ineligible, so I don’t ask myself the question.

”Another MP belonging to the party, Marc de Fleurian said: “The question of ineligibility doesn’t arise. It’s not taboo, but as long as we’ve said that such injustice cannot happen, it won’t.”The post Far-right politician Marine Le Pen awaits verdict for embezzlement trial appeared first on Women's Agenda.

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