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Marine Le Pen has gone on trial accused of embezzling EU funds, in a case that could derail her political ambitions thanks to a possible fine, prison sentence and ban from public office if found guilty.
The leader of the far-right National Rally (RN) party, Ms Le Pen is accused of using EU funds to pay Brussels-hired staff for work that was unrelated to their business in the EU, which is not permitted under EU regulations.
Denying any wrongdoing when arriving at court, Ms Le Pen said: "We have not violated any political and regulatory rules of the European parliament". She vowed to present "extremely serious and extremely solid arguments" in the nine-week trial.
Coming almost a decade after initial investigations started, the trial potentially puts Ms Le Pen at risk of being barred for up to 10 years from public office. RN and 27 of its top officials are accused of having used money destined for EU parliamentary aides to pay staff who instead did political work for the party between 2004 and 2016.
Investigating judges have alleged that Ms Le Pen, as party leader, orchestrated the allocation of parliamentary assistance budgets and instructed MEPs to hire individuals holding party positions. These individuals were presented as EU parliamentary assistants, but in reality, were allegedly working for RN in various capacities.
The European parliament's legal team is seeking €2.7m (£2.25m) in compensation for financial and reputational damages. This figure corresponds to €3.7m allegedly defrauded through the scheme, minus €1m already paid back. Of that amount, €330,000 was directly linked to Ms Le Pen's alleged misuse of funds.
Ms Le Pen lost to Emmanuel Macron in the second round of France's presidential election in 2017 and 2022. She is widely seen as a frontrunner in the next one in 2027.
Since stepping down as party leader three years ago, Ms Le Pen has sought to position herself as a mainstream candidate capable of appealing to a broader electorate. Her efforts have paid off, with the party making significant gains in recent elections at both the European and national levels. But a guilty verdict could seriously undermine her bid to take the Elysee.
The national elections in the summer saw a coalition of left-wing parties win the most seats, but not enough to take control of parliament outright. After weeks of political wrangling, a new government dominated by centrists and conservatives has recently taken office – with the former Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier being picked as prime minister by the president, Emmanuel Macron.
Some political observers feel the trial could prevent RN from effectively focusing on their role in parliamentary opposition.
Jean-Marie Le Pen, founder of the National Rally in 1972 – which until 2018 was called the National Front (FN) – was also accused of embezzlement, but judges decided the 96-year-old was too frail to stand trial.
A conviction for Ms Le Pen and her allies would be a major setback for the National Rally which has made huge strides over the past half-decade to position themselves as a genuine contender for government.
Called by Mr Macron after National Rally won big in June’s EU parliament elections, the French legislative elections have resulted in a fragile new government led by Mr Barnier - the EU’s chief negotiator in Britain’s exit from the EU.
But as opposition parties threaten no-confidence votes against Mr Barnier’s government, National Rally has now adopted a position of significant influence in opposition. Votes from Ms Le Pen’s party are needed for any no-confidence motions to pass.
A major trial could serve as a major distraction for the National Rally as they divert time and money towards defending their finances in court.
Party spokesperson Laurent Jacobelli said last week that Ms Le Pen was not worried about the trial. "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," he told Reuters.
The trial is set to last until 27 November.
The RN is under another preliminary investigation, launched in July by the Paris prosecutor's office, into alleged illegal financing of its 2022 presidential campaign.
Reuters and Associated Press contributed to this report
