Long-time head of the far-right National Rally in France and potential presidential candidate Marine Le Pen will go on trial in Paris on Monday on charges of embezzling money from the European Parliament.
The same accusations are being made against more than twenty more prominent party members. They are charged with employing party-affiliated aides instead of those who were paid by the European Parliament.
Le Pen’s chances of winning the presidency might be severely hampered if she is found guilty. She might also be subject to fines and jail, as well as a possible 10-year ban from running for government.
Party spokesperson Laurent Jacobelli stated, “We are going to prove that there is no system to embezzle money from the EU,” in response to her denial of any wrongdoing.
“Trial for alleged misuse of EU funds: Marine Le Pen.”
The spokesperson told French media on Monday, “We are going to prove that it is possible to be an assistant to a European parliamentarian and get involved in the life of the RN (National Rally).”
Le Pen said she and her allies had broken no political norms upon entering the courtroom and that she was going into the trial calmly.
Due to ill health, Le Pen’s father, 96-year-old Jean-Marie Le Pen, who started the National Front, which later became the RN, will not be present at the trial even though he is also charged.
The purportedly fraudulent employment scheme was initially discovered in 2015 and included contracts for legislative assistants from 2004 to 2016.
As a longstanding party leader and former EU politician, Le Pen is on trial. One of the individuals employed as a legislative assistant, according to the prosecution, was actually serving as Le Pen and her father’s security.
The prosecution wants to recoup nearly 3 million euros (£2.5 million). The RN said that having previously paid back 1 million euros (£834,000), it was not an admission of guilt. It is anticipated that the study would last for over two months.
In 2017, Le Pen resigned from her position as head of the National Front. She participated in the 2012, 2017 and 2022 presidential elections and is preparing for a potential 2027 presidential bid. Her party has advocated for law and order, tax reduction, and anti-immigration measures such limiting social assistance benefits to French citizens. In June, she was re-elected to the French parliament in the first round of elections.
Only a few weeks prior, her party had emerged victorious in the European Parliament elections; however, they surprisingly finished third. Most legislative seats were lost by the left. President Emmanuel Macron formed a right-wing administration after the elections.
(BBC)
