“Everyone has stolen from the cash register except the National Front!” exclaimed Marine Le Pen on French TV in 2004, commenting on an embezzlement scandal unfolding in Paris’s city council. At the time she had yet to become the leader of her father’s far-right party or to run three times for president. “French people are fed up with elected officials who embezzle public money.”
Flash forward 20 years and Le Pen – along with 24 other National Rally (RN) party officials, employees, former EU lawmakers and parliamentary assistants – stands accused of having embezzled more than €4m from the European parliament. She furiously denies any wrongdoing. The case centres on an alleged fake job scheme – she and the others are accused of using EU funds to pay staff in France who were working for the party.
