The leader of the French extreme right, Marine Le PenHe must sit on the bench in 2024 along with 26 people close to his party Embezzlement of public fundswhen there was suspicion that the National Group (RN) was one Abuse of assistants paid by the European Parliament.
The Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office announced that on March 27 there would be a first hearing on the organization of the trial, which will take place in the fall, between September 30 and November 27, 2024.
Those charged with illegally working as parliamentary assistants to the European Parliament between 2014 and 2016 include Jean Marie Le PenFather of the right-wing extremist leader and founder of the party (National Front at its founding), as well as eleven other members of the European Parliament during this time, such as: Louis Aliot (current mayor of Perpignan) and the RN itself.
They are accused of embezzling public funds through the use of assistants paid with European Parliament funds for his work in the party and his complicity in this crime.
In case of a guilty verdict You face a prison sentence of up to ten years and a fine of one million eurosin addition to being disabled hold public office for five years.
The latter could prevent a renewed candidacy for the presidency of France in the 2027 elections for Le Pen, who is now considered the favorite in the polls. In the two previous elections in 2017 and 2022, the visible leader of the French far right came second and lost in both cases Emmanuel Macronwhich cannot be resubmitted for the third time in a row.
The investigation in this summary began in 2015, when the European Parliament asked the Community anti-fraud authority to analyze whether the RN had committed anything as suspected Irregularities in the salaries of his parliamentary assistants.
The European Parliament, which constituted itself as a private plaintiff, assessed the damage caused by the alleged violations in 2018 6.8 million euros in the period between 2009 and 2017.
Marine Le Pen has repeatedly denied her guilt in this matter and today His party stressed that its leader “has not committed any violations or irregularities.” and that the trial will allow him to defend himself on the merits and “make his reasonable case.”