Marine Le Pen on Trial for Misuse of European Funds
PARIS — In a dramatic turn of events, Marine Le Pen, the formidable leader of France’s far-right National Rally and a contender for the presidency, is set to stand trial in Paris on Monday on charges of misappropriating European parliamentary funds.
Over 20 other high-ranking members of the party are also implicated in the scandal, accused of employing assistants who allegedly worked on party matters instead of fulfilling their duties at the European Parliament, which was responsible for their salaries.
If found guilty, Le Pen could face hefty fines, imprisonment, and even disqualification from holding public office for a decade, dealing a severe blow to her political aspirations.
Despite vehemently denying any wrongdoing, party spokesperson Laurent Jacobelli vowed to demonstrate that there was no systematic embezzlement of EU funds. “We will show that it is feasible to serve as an assistant to a European parliamentarian while actively participating in the activities of the RN (National Rally),” Jacobelli asserted to the French media on the eve of the trial.
Notably, Jean-Marie Le Pen, the 96-year-old patriarch who founded the National Front, the precursor to the RN, is also facing charges in the case but will be absent from the proceedings due to health reasons.
The allegations of fictitious employment arrangements first surfaced in 2015, focusing on assistant contracts spanning from 2004 to 2016.
As a seasoned party leader and former EU legislator, Le Pen stands accused of hiring an individual purportedly serving as a parliamentary assistant, who was allegedly functioning as a bodyguard for both Le Pen and her father.
Prosecutors are seeking the recovery of over 3 million euros (£2.5m), with the RN having already repaid 1 million euros (£834,000) – a move the party emphasized was not an admission of guilt.
The trial is anticipated to endure nearly two months, shedding light on a contentious chapter in Le Pen’s political career.
Following her resignation as the head of the erstwhile National Front in 2017, Le Pen has contested the presidential elections in 2012, 2017, and most recently in 2022, while gearing up for another potential bid in 2027.
Advocating for stringent immigration policies, such as limiting social benefits to French nationals, and championing law and order reforms alongside tax reductions, Le Pen’s party has taken a hardline stance on critical issues.
Despite securing re-election to the parliament in the initial round of France’s legislative elections held in June, her party unexpectedly slipped to third place after a resounding triumph in the preceding European Parliament polls.
In an unforeseen turn of events, the left emerged victorious in the legislative contests, prompting President Emmanuel Macron to appoint a conservative-leaning government in the aftermath of the electoral shake-up. — BBC
