Paris appeals court delivers its verdict on Tuesday in the Marine Le Pen fictitious jobs case
The Paris appeals court rules on Tuesday on Marine Le Pen's political fate. Convicted at first instance for misappropriation of European public funds, the leader of the National Rally risks a confirmed sentence that would bar her from the 2027 presidential election.
Paris appeals court delivers its verdict on Tuesday in the Marine Le Pen fictitious jobs case
The Paris appeals court will pronounce its decision on Tuesday in Marine Le Pen and the National Rally's appeal trial. The stakes are high: the leader of France's main opposition party could be deprived of the possibility of standing in the 2027 presidential election.
In March 2025, the Paris criminal court had convicted Marine Le Pen to two years' imprisonment without suspension and two years with suspension for misappropriation of public funds. She had also been barred from political elections for five years. Justice had imposed a fine of 100,000 euros on her. The politician immediately appealed.
The facts at issue concern the irregular use of 2.9 million euros in European parliamentary allowances for the benefit of the party. Between 2004 and 2016, the National Rally allegedly implemented a system consisting of paying personnel working in France from funds allocated to the European Parliament.
Apart from Marine Le Pen, twenty-four former European MPs, assistants, accountants and the party as a legal entity had been found guilty at first instance.
During the appeal hearing in February, the public prosecutor's office requested a harsher sentence: three years' imprisonment without suspension, one year with suspension, a fine of 100,000 euros and ineligibility from public office for five years.
If the judges follow these requests, the political career of Marine Le Pen, already a candidate three times for the presidency, could come to an abrupt end. The person concerned could still appeal to the Court of Cassation within ten days, but she has already indicated on several occasions that she was not considering this course.
The appeals court theoretically has the latitude to completely disregard the conclusions of the public prosecutor's office and acquit Marine Le Pen by finding that the charges are unfounded. Legal experts believe, however, that a discharge would be highly improbable, the judges having demonstrated that the defendant had full knowledge of the regulations and had deliberately circumvented them.
Source: Google News HU — Crime (hu)