France’s far-right leader Marine Le Pen, her National Rally party, and 26 other individuals go on trial on Monday in Paris over alleged misappropriation of European funds. A guilty verdict could scupper Le Pen's chances of running for president in the 2027.
Le Pen, her father and 25 colleagues – including current and former French lawmakers and MEPs – are accused of embezzling public funds and collusion.
Prosecutors claim that the defendants set up a fake jobs scheme using European parliamentary funds to pay for assistants who in fact worked for her National Rally party, formerly called the National Front, rather than on European affairs.
The scheme, which ran from 2004 to 2016, was in breach of EU rules.
The EU Parliament estimated in 2018 that 6.8 million euros had been embezzled. Marine Le Pen has always denied any wrongdoing.
The trial runs through to 27 November. If found guilty, Le Pen could face a maximum ten years behind bars and a whopping €1 million fine.
That's unlikely, but she also faces a possible five-year ban on standing for public office. This would rule her out of the 2027 presidential election she is preparing for, and which a recent poll suggests she has a stronger than ever chance of winning.
Far right election gains ensure a financial jackpot for Le Pen's National Rally
A total of 11 members of the European Parliament, 12 of their parliamentary assistants and four party collaborators are to be tried as well, while the RN party itself faces charges of concealing the wrongdoing.
Among the high-profile figures are Le Pen's father Jean-Marie Le Pen, founder of the National Front, her former partner Louis Aliot – the mayor of the southern city of Perpignan – and RN spokesperson Julien Odoul.
Jean-Marie Le Pen, who is 96 years old, will not be present in court after a medical report in July diagnosed him as “unfit” to stand trial.
The National Rally is not the only party to be accused of misappropriating MEP funds.
In February this year the centrist MoDem party, currently part of President Emmanuel Macron’s Ensemble coalition, was fined €350,000 for similar charges.
MoDem’s leader, Francois Bayrou, was acquitted due to reasonable doubt, but the eight people found guilty were ordered to pay fines, sentenced to prison terms of 10 to 18 months and were banned from serving in public office.
