Conviction upheld for Marine Le Pen in fictional parliamentary assistants case
Judges at the Paris Court of Appeal have upheld the guilt of the RN leader for misappropriation concerning European Union funds, imposing a prison sentence coupled with electronic monitoring and a conditional suspension of her civic rights.
Conviction upheld for Marine Le Pen in fictional parliamentary assistants case
The magistrates of the Paris Court of Appeal have rendered their decision regarding the misappropriation case brought against Marine Le Pen by French justice. The president of the National Rally was found guilty of having misappropriated funds from the budget of the European Parliament, between 2004 and 2016, for the benefit of her political party.
The scheme that was set up consisted of paying, with the money allocated to collaborators of elected representatives from Strasbourg, individuals who were actually exercising their functions at the Paris headquarters of the far-right movement. At the time, the political formation was experiencing significant financial difficulties.
The court imposed on the defendant a deprivation of liberty of three years: two years with suspension, the third to be carried out under electronic monitoring. Added to this were a financial penalty of one hundred thousand euros and a ban from holding electoral mandates lasting forty-five months, of which thirty are suspended.
This decision, less severe than the one previously issued by the general court, theoretically allows the convicted person to run for the highest office in the presidential election of 2027. The judges determined that the period of actual ineligibility had already elapsed.
However, such a candidacy would entail an unprecedented situation: campaigning with an electronic surveillance device attached to the ankle. During a recent television appearance on the LCI channel, the defendant had nonetheless ruled out this scenario, stating that it was impossible to conduct an election campaign under such conditions.
During the pronouncement of the verdict, Marine Le Pen showed no visible emotion. The judge presiding over the hearing described the actions as particularly serious, emphasising both the scale of the misappropriated sums and the longevity of the fraudulent mechanism.
The magistrates acknowledged the absence of personal enrichment, while recalling the public nature of community subsidies. Meanwhile, Jordan Bardella, designated successor to lead the party, was following the proceedings from the movement's headquarters. Polling institutes currently credit him with a significant lead for the first round of the presidential election.
Source: Il Fatto Quotidiano
Source: Il Fatto Quotidiano - Cronaca