Marine Le Pen convicted of misappropriation of European public funds
The Paris court of appeal has confirmed Marine Le Pen's guilt in the case of fictional European parliamentary assistants. She has been handed a three-year prison sentence with two years suspended, a fine of 100,000 euros and an electronic tag for one year.
Marine Le Pen convicted of misappropriation of European public funds
The Paris court of appeal delivered a verdict on Tuesday confirming Marine Le Pen's guilt in the case of fictional jobs for parliamentary assistants at the European Parliament. The president of the Rassemblement national has been sentenced to three years' imprisonment with two years suspended, as well as a fine of 100,000 euros.
The court also handed down a sentence of three years' home confinement with electronic monitoring, with two years suspended. For one year, the political leader will be required to wear an electronic tag, which severely limits her movements. She must meet with a judge responsible for executing sentences within one month and have the device fitted within four months.
The court reduced the ineligibility pronounced in the first instance to 45 months, of which 30 months are suspended. The remaining 15 months are deemed already executed, as the period began running from the March 2025 judgment. This decision theoretically opens the way for Marine Le Pen to be a candidate in the 2027 presidential election.
The trial concerned the misappropriation of public money intended for assistants to MEPs from the National Front. According to the judges, these European funds were in fact used to finance staff working for the party in Paris, in breach of European Union regulations.
Despite her conviction, Marine Le Pen announced in an interview with TF1 television that she would be a candidate in the presidential election. She specified that she would lodge a cassation appeal, which, according to her, suspends the execution of the sentence and would allow her to campaign without a surveillance tag. She confirmed that Jordan Bardella would become Prime Minister if she were elected.
Source: Rzeczpospolita
Source: Google News PL — Crime (pl)