As Marine Le Pen‘s Paris trial on charges of embezzling European Parliament funds wraps up, France’s leading far-right figure awaits a verdict that could put an end to her bid to become the country’s next president in elections scheduled for 2027.
The court expected to pronounce on the outcome of the case in the coming spring. A guilty verdict could result in Le Pen being ruled ineligible to seek public office for a period that would rule her out from contesting the 2027 race to succeed President Emmanuel Macron.
Le Pen and 25 officials of her National Rally party stand accused of violating European Union regulations by using money earmarked for EU parliamentary aides to pay party workers between 2004 and 2016, a time when the party was known as the National Front. She and other co-defendants deny wrongdoing.
If found guilty, Le Pen faces a possible two-year prison. Moreover, the Paris prosecutors are also demanding that in the event of such a verdict she be declared ineligible from running for public office for a period of five years with immediate effect, regardless of whether she appeals the verdict or not.
Prosecutor Nicolas Barret acknowledged that a verdict rendering Le Pen ineligible to seek public office would have “consequences, obviously for those convicted, but also for (France’s) public and democratic life.” He was insistent, however, that the judicial authority “merely takes note of fraudulent behaviour and is not at the origin of the situation.”
In his final address to the court yesterday, Le Pen’s lawyer, Rodolphe Bosselut, said his client pleaded “not guilty”, maintaining that Le Pen’s actions “were ordinary, trivial, practiced by all European similar opposition parties, and with no fraudulent intent, precisely because it was considered accepted and not prohibited.” He went on to describe the prosecution’s demands as anti-democratic, stressing that a decision preventing Le Pen from contesting France’s 2027 presidential election would have “irremediable, irreparable consequences.”
A leading candidate for the presidency
Le Pen has worked for more than a decade to bring her party closer to mainstream acceptability and has positioned herself as a candidate to succeed Macron, having finished runner-up to him in 2017 and 2022.
The current trial represents a stressful and possibly decisive challenge. Recently, she told the panel of three judges: “I feel we didn’t succeed in convincing you.” As the interminable exchanges about the role and financing of parliamentary aides unfolded, she has argued that all the work done by aides was justified and above board. Outside the courtroom, she’s reiterated her irritation at the charges, insisting they are unfounded.
Prosecutors cited the “unprecedented” scale of the alleged embezzlement and how it had been “organised [and] maximised”. They alleged that Le Pen was the central figure in what they called a “system” for her party to “save money at the expense of the European Parliament.” They also claim that some of the well-paid jobs contributed to finance the “comfortable lifestyle” of Le Pen’s family and friends.
Le Pen’s sister, Yann, is accused of having been paid as an EU parliamentary aide when in fact she was responsible for organising major National Rally events. The hearings revealed that EU money was used to pay for Le Pen’s bodyguard as well as her personal assistant.
Prosecutor Louise Neyton, said those involved had made the European Parliament their “cash cow,” claiming that had Parliament “not rung the bell, they would have continued.”
Prosecutors requested a guilty verdict for all of Le Pen’s co-defendants, including various sentences of up to one year in prison and a 2-million euro fine for the party.
A potential appeal could lead to another trial for the case in 2026 — just before the next presidential race.
