Marine Le Pen, leader of France’s far-right National Rally party, faces a nine-week trial starting Monday, accused of embezzling European Union funds, The Associated Press reports.
The case, which could derail her political ambitions, will be closely watched by her rivals ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Le Pen, along with 27 other party officials, is accused of misusing EU parliamentary funds between 2004 and 2016 to pay staff who performed political work for the party, rather than their assigned duties. The National Rally, formerly known as the National Front, has denied wrongdoing, claiming the case is politically motivated.
Le Pen, who has sought to present herself as a mainstream candidate capable of appealing to a broader electorate, argues that her staff were political assistants by definition.
“Parliamentary assistants do not work for the Parliament. They are political assistants to elected officials, political by definition,” she said in her defense.
A guilty verdict could seriously damage Le Pen’s chances of becoming president, especially considering she was the runner-up to Emmanuel Macron in both the 2017 and 2022 elections. The party has already repaid €1 million to the European Parliament, with €330,000 directly linked to Le Pen’s alleged misuse of funds.
The trial stems from a 2015 alert by former European Parliament President Martin Schulz, who notified French authorities of possible fraudulent use of EU funds by National Front members. The European Anti-Fraud Office also launched a separate investigation.
If found guilty, Le Pen and her co-defendants could face up to 10 years in prison, fines of up to €1 million each, and additional penalties including loss of civil rights and ineligibility to run for office.
