Marine Le Pen, longtime leader of France's National Rally (RN) party, is set to face trial in a Paris criminal court on September 30, 2024. The case, involving 26 other defendants, centers on allegations of misappropriating European Union funds.
This legal proceeding, which has been nearly a decade in the making, presents a significant challenge for Le Pen. The trial could potentially impact her political career as she continues to refine her party's image in preparation for future governance. However, it also risks drawing attention to the RN's recurring legal issues.
The charges stem from accusations that party officials and employees, including former lawmakers and parliamentary assistants, used EU funds intended for parliamentary work to instead pay staff working directly for the RN. This practice allegedly occurred when the party was still known as the National Front.
EU regulations stipulate that funds allocated to lawmakers for expenses, including assistant salaries, should not be used to finance party activities. However, it's worth noting that many European political parties, particularly smaller ones with limited national funding, have utilized EU money to hire promising talent as aides to EU lawmakers.
Jordan Bardella, the current RN party head and a Member of the European Parliament, previously worked in such an assistant role but is not implicated in this trial.
The charges against Marine Le Pen are twofold, addressing both her role as party leader and her position as an EU lawmaker who allegedly hired fictitious assistants. One defendant, Thierry Legier, is accused of working as a bodyguard for Le Pen and her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, while receiving a salary as a parliamentary assistant between 2005 and 2012.
"She knows that what we are accused of is having a different understanding, as a French party, of what an assistant role is, compared with the European Parliament's understanding."
If found guilty, Le Pen and other defendants could face severe consequences, including up to 10 years in prison, a €1 million fine, and a five-year ban from public office. This outcome could significantly impact Le Pen's political future, especially considering her status as a frontrunner for the 2027 French presidential election.
The investigation began in 2016, prompted by a 2015 report from the European Parliament president to the French justice minister. Investigators examined the situation of 49 RN parliamentary assistants over three European Parliament terms, resulting in charges against 11 RN members of the EU assembly and 13 parliamentary assistants.
It's worth noting that the RN is also under a separate preliminary investigation, launched in July 2024, regarding alleged illegal financing of its 2022 presidential campaign.
As the trial unfolds until November 27, 2024, it will undoubtedly draw significant attention to the National Rally's practices and potentially influence the party's future in French and European politics.