Marine Le Pen confirmed guilty on appeal for misappropriation of European public funds
Paris appeals court has confirmed the conviction of Marine Le Pen for illegal party financing. The former presidential candidate risks being barred from office.
Marine Le Pen confirmed guilty on appeal for misappropriation of European public funds
Paris appeals court confirmed on Tuesday the first-instance judgment that had convicted Marine Le Pen for illegal party financing – reports Telex.
The case concerns the use of European funds to pay employees of the Rassemblement national between 2004 and 2016. According to the judges, the former presidential election candidate approved irregular payments by signing documents with her own hand. Twenty-five people had been found guilty in first instance, of whom twelve had appealed.
The total amount of the damage is estimated at four million euros. Le Pen, who has a legal background, is held directly responsible for the irregularities found. She has consistently characterised the proceedings as political persecution.
The appeals court decision could have major consequences for the political future of the far-right leader. If the final sentence includes a ban on holding public office for at least two years, without wearing an electronic bracelet for an additional year, she could theoretically be prevented from standing in the 2027 presidential election.
According to polls, Le Pen would be leading the first round with approximately 32 per cent of voting intentions. In the event of being barred from office, it would be Jordan Bardella, RN president aged thirty, who could replace her. Opinion surveys even give him a higher popularity rating, ranging between 35 and 37 per cent.
The far-right party, founded by Marine Le Pen's father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, has undergone several name changes and strategic shifts. The current leader has expelled her own father and renamed the party Rassemblement national. Bardella, who leads the Patriots for Europe group in the European Parliament, took control of the movement in 2022.
Source: Telex