Marine Le Pen’s embezzlement appeal to open in Paris
PARIS (Reuters) – French far-right leader Marine Le Pen began a major appeal in Paris on Tuesday to determine whether she can run in the 2027 presidential election after being barred from holding public office for misusing EU funds.
Le Pen received a five-year ban from public office with immediate effect in March after she and eight other former National Convention (RN) MPs were found guilty of misusing over 4 million euros ($4.67 million) in EU funds; The party itself and a dozen of its deputies were found guilty of receiving this money.
Between 2004 and 2016, Le Pen and others used funds earmarked for work in the European Parliament to pay staff who actually worked for the party, the judges said.
Le Pen said the way she and the other defendants used the money was legitimate.
“My only line of defense in this appeal case will be the same as in the first trial: telling the truth,” Le Pen told reporters on Monday.
“The case will be reset and will be considered by new judges,” he added. “I hope to convince them of my innocence.”
Le Pen was also initially sentenced to four years in prison, with two years suspended and two years under house arrest, and a fine of 100,000 euros ($116,830). Unlike the ban, these penalties did not come into force due to appeal.
RN and 10 others were also found guilty of diverting or receiving European Parliament funds.
The trial will begin on Tuesday and end on February 12.
Le Pen’s lawyers, Rodolphe Bosselut and Sandra Chirac Kollarik, declined to comment ahead of the hearing.
European Parliament lawyer Patrick Maisonneuve said he hoped the convictions of Le Pen and the other defendants would be upheld, including the amount of over 3 million euros paid in compensation to the European Parliament. RN was also ordered to pay a fine of 2 million euros, half of which was suspended.
A decision is expected before the summer, meaning Le Pen’s hopes of running for office in 2027 remain alive if her five-year ban is lifted or heavily restricted.
If he fails to become a candidate, his protégé, 30-year-old RN party president Jordan Bardella, is expected to step in.
($1 = 0.8559 euro)
(Reporting by Juliette Jabkhiro; Editing by Alison Williams)
