“Marine Le Pen on Trial for EU Embezzlement in High-Profile Case

Marine Le Pen, the longtime leader of France’s far-right National Rally (RN) party, is set to stand trial in a Paris criminal court on Monday alongside 26 others over allegations of misappropriating European Union funds. This trial comes nearly a decade after initial investigations began, offering Le Pen a chance to refute the accusations she has consistently denied while attempting to enhance her party’s image to make it suitable for government.

However, the trial also poses a risk of drawing attention to the RN’s ongoing legal troubles. Among those facing charges are party officials, former lawmakers, and parliamentary assistants accused of misusing EU funds intended for parliamentary work to pay staff who were working for the RN, previously known as the National Front. EU lawmakers receive funds to cover various expenses, including assistant salaries, but are prohibited from using these funds to support party activities.

Many European political parties, particularly smaller ones with limited national funding, have utilized EU money to hire talented aides for their lawmakers. Current RN party leader Jordan Bardella, who is also a member of the European Parliament, previously worked in such an assistant role but is not included in the trial.

Le Pen’s party aligns with a coalition of eurosceptic and nationalist parties in the European Parliament, advocating for ‘France first’ policies across several issues, including immigration, energy, and agriculture. The party firmly denies the charges against it.

Marine Le Pen faces accusations related to her dual role as both the party leader and an EU lawmaker who allegedly hired fictitious assistants. Prosecutors allege that Thierry Legier, one of the defendants, served as a bodyguard for Le Pen and her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, founder of the National Front, while collecting a salary as a parliamentary assistant from 2005 to 2012.

Despite the serious nature of the charges, RN lawmaker and party spokesman Laurent Jacobelli stated last week that Le Pen remains unconcerned about the trial. “She believes that what we are accused of is simply having a different interpretation of what an assistant’s role should be as a French party compared to the European Parliament’s definition,” he said.

If found guilty, Le Pen and the other defendants could face up to 10 years in prison, fines of one million euros (approximately $1.12 million), and a five-year ban from public office. Le Pen has previously lost to Emmanuel Macron in the second round of France’s presidential elections in 2017 and 2022, but she is widely regarded as a frontrunner for the next election in 2027.

The Paris public prosecutor’s office initiated a probe in 2016 following a 2015 report from the president of the European Parliament to the French justice minister, which was subsequently followed by a police investigation.

Investigators examined the cases of 49 parliamentary assistants affiliated with the National Rally (RN) party over the course of the last three European Parliament terms. This investigation led to charges against 11 RN members of the EU assembly, including Marine Le Pen and her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, for the misappropriation of EU funds. Additionally, 13 parliamentary assistants were charged with unlawfully receiving these funds.

Jean-Marie Le Pen, now 96 years old, will not be attending the trial due to health concerns. The proceedings are expected to continue until November 27.

In addition to this case, the RN is currently facing another preliminary investigation initiated in July by the Paris prosecutor’s office. This investigation focuses on allegations of illegal financing related to the party’s 2022 presidential campaign.