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7mo ago

Marine Le Pen Faces Trial for Alleged Misuse of EU Funds

The far-right leader is accused of embezzling European funds to support her party, risking her political future.

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French far-right Rassemblement National (RN) Member of Parliament Marine Le Pen addresses the press as she arrives at a court house for a trial on suspicion of embezzlement of European public funds, in Paris on September 30, 2024. The trial of Marine Le Pen, 24 other people and the National Rally, suspected of having embezzled funds from the European Parliament to pay party employees, opens on September 30, 2024, before the Paris criminal court, a case with serious political stakes for the leader of the far right. (Photo by Dimitar DILKOFF / AFP) (Photo by DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP via Getty Images)

Overview

  • Marine Le Pen and 27 National Rally officials are on trial for allegedly misappropriating EU funds meant for parliamentary assistants.
  • The European Parliament seeks €2.7 million in compensation for financial and reputational damages.
  • If found guilty, Le Pen could face a jail sentence, a fine of up to €1 million, and a ban from public office for up to 10 years.
  • Le Pen denies the charges and compares her situation to Donald Trump's legal battles, hoping to galvanize her supporters.
  • The trial, expected to last until November 27, comes as Le Pen is a frontrunner for the 2027 French presidential election.