Marine Le Pen, the long-time figurehead of France's far-right National Rally, appeared in court on Monday to face accusations of misusing European parliamentary funds. This was reported by the BBC.
Alongside her, over 20 senior figures in the party are also on trial, with charges alleging they misappropriated funds by hiring parliamentary assistants who worked on party affairs rather than for the European Parliament.
If found guilty, Le Pen could face fines, imprisonment, and be barred from running for office for up to 10 years, potentially derailing her 2027 presidential ambitions.
Le Pen has denied any wrongdoing.
Laurent Jacobelli, a party spokesperson, defended the accused, stating that the trial would prove there was no scheme to embezzle EU money, and that it is possible for parliamentary assistants to be involved in party affairs.
Le Pen’s 96-year-old father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, who founded the National Front (now the National Rally), also faces charges but will not attend the trial due to health issues.
The allegations stem from a system of so-called fake jobs, first flagged in 2015, involving contracts for parliamentary assistants between 2004 and 2016. Prosecutors allege that one assistant, hired by Le Pen, was actually working as a bodyguard for her and her father.
Prosecutors are seeking to recover over €3 million (£2.5 million) in misused funds, though the National Rally has already returned €1 million, stating it was not an admission of guilt.
The trial is expected to last nearly two months.
Le Pen, who stepped down as the party leader in 2017, has run for president in 2012, 2017, and 2022, and is preparing for a potential 2027 bid. Despite these allegations, she continues to push her party’s anti-immigration and law-and-order agenda.
