Marine Le Pen, a prominent figure in French politics and the leader of the far-right party, was found guilty in a high-profile embezzlement case by a French court on Monday. The verdict did not immediately disclose the potential sentence that Le Pen might face, leaving uncertainty regarding the impact on her political future.
Seated in the front row of the Paris court during the verdict reading, Le Pen displayed no immediate reaction to the guilty ruling. The verdict constitutes a significant setback for Le Pen and her party, extending beyond her own status. Alongside Le Pen, eight former or current members of her party, who also had previously served as lawmakers in the European Parliament, were similarly found guilty. These individuals could face up to 10 years in prison and have the right to appeal, which would lead to another trial.
A critical concern for Le Pen is the court’s potential decision to declare her ineligible to run for office immediately, even if she chooses to appeal. Such an outcome could impede her candidacy in the 2027 presidential election, a scenario she has described as a “political death.”
In addition to the guilty verdicts for Le Pen and the eight former European lawmakers, the court also convicted 12 other individuals who served as parliamentary aides for Le Pen and her party, now known as the National Rally but previously called the National Front. The court’s ruling accused Le Pen’s party of operating a systematic approach to embezzle EU parliamentary funds.
Le Pen, who was a runner-up in the 2017 and 2022 presidential elections, has witnessed growing electoral support for her party. She argued during the nine-week trial that any ineligibility to run for office would not only deprive her of being a presidential candidate but also disenfranchise her supporters, numbering around 11 million.
Le Pen denies accusations that she was at the helm of a system designed to misdirect EU parliament funds for the benefit of her party, which she led from 2011 to 2021. Instead, she maintains that it was acceptable to modify the roles of the European Parliament-paid aides to address the needs of the lawmakers, including tasks highly politicized and related to the party.
The trial revealed that some of the EU funds were utilized to pay for Le Pen’s bodyguard, who had previously been her father’s bodyguard, as well as her personal assistant. Prosecutors had sought a two-year prison sentence and a five-year ban on holding public office for Le Pen, alleging their sole interest was in preventing her from running for president.
Le Pen’s potential absence in the 2027 presidential race might pave the way for Jordan Bardella, her 29-year-old protégé who took over the leadership of the party in 2021, to emerge as the next in line.
Source: https://time.com/7273019/france-marine-le-pen-embezzlement/
