Marine Le Pen Faces Trial Over EU Funds Misappropriation

Marine Le Pen, leader of the French right-wing party Rassemblement National (RN), is standing trial in Paris alongside 24 other defendants from her party for allegedly misappropriating EU funds. The case centers on the suspected fictitious employment of assistants in the European Parliament between 2004 and 2016. If convicted, Le Pen could face up to ten years in prison and be barred from running in elections, jeopardizing her 2027 presidential bid.

Her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, was declared unfit for trial due to health reasons. The EU Parliament, acting as a co-plaintiff, estimates the damages at three million euros, of which the RN has already repaid one million.

Le Pen denies the accusations and claims the trial is politically motivated. The trial is expected to conclude by late November, but the legal battle may extend, potentially affecting Le Pen's political future.