Le Pen’s Fate: EU Parliament Blamed in Appeal

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen told a Paris court she had “no sense of having committed an offence” as she seeks to overturn her conviction for embezzling European Union funds. Le Pen, 57, was found guilty last year of directing parliamentary funds to pay for staff working for her National Rally party in France, rather than for the European Parliament.

Marine Le Pen Embezzlement Appeal Underway

The case at the Paris Court of Appeal is expected to last until February 12, but a ruling is not anticipated before the summer. Last year’s verdict centered on charges that Le Pen and more than 20 other senior party figures misused European Parliament funding.

Le Pen received a four-year prison sentence – two years suspended – and was ordered to serve the remaining two years with an electronic tag. She was also fined €100,000 (approximately £82,635) and banned from holding public office “with immediate effect.”

The National Rally party was ordered to pay a €2 million fine, with half of that amount suspended. More than 20 party figures were also found guilty in the initial trial. Eleven of Le Pen’s colleagues are appealing the original verdicts, while 12, including her sister Yann Le Pen, have chosen not to challenge them.

During the hearing, Le Pen stated, “We have never concealed anything, neither in the publication of our organisational charts, nor in the contracts filed, nor in the numerous press articles.”

The appeals court will review both the facts and legal aspects of the case. Le Pen hopes to have her conviction overturned, clearing her to run for president of France for a fourth time.

Several outcomes are possible. The court could affirm the guilty verdict but remove the immediate ban, allowing her to run even while appealing to the Court of Cassation. Alternatively, the ban could be shortened to allow her to register by the March 2027 deadline. The court could also uphold the original decision, making a presidential run extremely difficult, or even stiffen the sentence, potentially increasing jail time to up to 10 years.

The presidential election is expected around April 2027. Jordan Bardella, the president of the National Rally party, stated that barring Le Pen from the election would be “deeply worrying for democracy.” He added that he would seek the post of prime minister rather than run for president himself.

A recent opinion poll published by Le Monde suggested Bardella may have a stronger chance of winning the presidency – 49% against 18% for Le Pen.