The leader of the Rassemblement National (RN), Marine Le Pen, was sentenced to four years in prison, two of which were without parole, with the possibility of an electronic bracelet, and five years of ineligibility.
Article Key Points
The sentence, issued by the court of Paris, concerns the case of RN parliamentary assistants at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, where Le Pen and eight other MEPs were found guilty of misappropriation of public funds.
Charges and sentence
According to the court, Le Pen and his collaborators created a “system” of fictitious contracts to have the European Parliament pay people who actually worked for the party at the national level. The fraud would amount to 2,9 million euros in damages for the European taxpayer. The president of the court, Bénédicte de Perthuis, stressed that Le Pen had been “at the heart of this system since 2009, with authority”.
Reactions and solidarity
The conviction has shaken the French political landscape and sparked international reactions. Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, expressed concern about “violations of democratic norms” in the trial, while Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban expressed solidarity with Le Pen with the message “Je suis Marine!” on the social media site X.
Political consequences
The ineligibility ruling, effective immediately, puts at risk the political career of Marine Le Pen, considered a leading figure on the French right. Her absence could have a significant impact on the future presidential elections in 2027.
Article published on March 31, 2025 - 14pm
Marine Le Pen's conviction is a very serious matter, but justice must also be fair. Of course there is much controversy over this case, public funds must be used well for the common good and not for other purposes.