Marine Le Pen Appears in Court in Fraud Case: 'We Have Not Broken Any Rules, I Am Completely Serene'

paris - The trial against Marine Le Pen and 24 of her party members has begun in Paris. The leader of Rassemblement National (RN) is accused of embezzling European public funds. Le Pen faces a fine and a potential ban from running for office.

The case dates back to 2015 when it was revealed that Front National, now known as Rassemblement National, had hired 'European parliamentary assistants' who were actually working for the national party. The matter was brought to French judicial authorities and the European Anti-Fraud Office. In December 2016, Paris launched a legal investigation, which lasted for seven years.

According to the prosecutor, some employees have never set foot in the European Parliament. The Parliament estimated the amount of embezzled funds to be seven million euros, later reduced by the judges to 3.2 million euros.

The Public Prosecutor describes the scheme as 'a fraud system to lighten the party's deteriorating finances,' initiated by Jean-Marie Le Pen and later continued by his daughter Marine. The former party leader is not standing trial due to his deteriorating health.

Some documents suggest that Le Pen was well aware of the situation and even gave orders herself. In 2014, she received an email from her treasurer Wallerand de Saint-Just, stating: 'In the coming years, we will only survive if we achieve significant savings through the European Parliament.' Le Pen, however, seems unfazed. Before entering the courtroom, she declared to the press that she is 'completely serene.' 'We have not broken any rules,' said a confident Le Pen, who previously expressed her intention to appear before the judges 'as much as possible.'

The hearings will continue until the end of November, and the verdict is expected in early 2025. The defendants, charged with embezzlement of public funds or complicity in this crime, face a maximum sentence of ten years in prison, a fine of 1 million euros, as well as a ten-year ban from holding public office. A 'ban from running for office' would be a setback for Marine Le Pen, given her ambitions for the 2027 presidential elections.