The facts are now known: today a Paris court has issued a sentence against Marine Le Penleader of the right party Restamment National, condemning it to four years of imprisonment. Of these, two years are with suspended sentence, while the other two can be taken for granted via electronic bracelet. But above all the Le Pen was sentenced to five years of ineligibility for embezzlement of public funds from the European Parliament and a fine of 100,000 euros. Although it is a first instance sentence, the Court decided to immediately apply the ineligibility, establishing that the penalty has “temporary execution”. This means that the right leader will not be able to apply in the local or national elections, including the presidential ones of 2027, unless you get a favorable sentence on appeal.
In addition to the Le Pen, 23 other people have been sentenced, including eight MEP and twelve parliamentary assistants, involved in the investigation. The Court established that these assistants, although formally paid by the European Parliament, actually worked for the party in France, violating the regulations that prohibit the use of European funds for national political activities. The survey revealed that, between 2004 and 2016, the European funds used illegally amounted to around 2.9 million euros. For this reason, the Rassemblement National has been fined with 2 million euros, half of which must be paid immediately, while the other half will consist of the confiscation of goods.
The Le Pen was accused of taking four parliamentary assistants, the Court confirmed the thesis of the Prosecutor according to which the Rassemblement National had created a fraudulent system of undue appropriation and “fictitious contracts”. This system, initially conceived under the direction of Jean-Marie Le Pen, father of Marine and historical leader of the party, would then be continued by Marine Le Pen after he took the party guide in 2011. The investigations began in 2016, shortly after the front National, then led by Le Pen, had seen a considerable expansion, passing from 3 to 23 to 23 MEP after the 2014 European elections.
The stages of the process
THE’investigation On the Le Pen and his party dates back to 2015, when the then president of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, informed the French authorities of a possible fraudulent use of the funds intended for the payment of the party parliamentary assistants. The European Office for the Anti -Frode struggle (Olaf) was later involved, which was already investigating the activity of the assistants of the leader of the right Fransalpina. The French authorities started their investigations in the same year, discovering alleged discrepancies in the employment contracts of the collaborators.
In 2016, the Paris prosecutor opened a judicial investigation for embezzlement and suspicion of organized fraud. Two years later, in 2018, the Le Pen was sentenced to return to the European Parliament about 300,000 euros for the improper use of funds. The French trial was announced last year. Although Olaf was able to investigate to support the requests for the return of European funds, as underlined by the magistrate Chabrot, it is still a “European and financial procedure”, while the procedure in France concerns the undue appropriation of public money and has a criminal character.
The European Parliament has decided to constitute a civil party in the process, with the aim of obtaining compensation for the financial and reputational damage suffered. A spokesman for Parliament confirmed to Euronews that both the citizens of the European Union and the French taxpayers have been damaged by this case. A previous estimate of the damages, dating back to 2018, indicated an amount of almost 7 million euros, a figure that was subsequently updated.
What does not come back
The scope of the condemnation against the Le Pen is enormous. When it was requested by the Prosecutor, l‘immediate application of inextriction Around the three times candidate defeat to the Elysée he was blamed even by his main opponents. Today’s ruling only leaves doubts: based on the device, the Le Pen can no longer participate in any election right away, even in the event of a positive appeal in second degree. Yes, because it will remain ineligible even if not definitively condemned: a judge, at the end of 2026, just before the presidential elections, could absolve it. But running for the Eliseo with this sword of Damocles on the head would be practically impossible. Doesn’t it seem absurd to you?
The lawyer of politics announced appealwhich however will have no effects on the immediate execution of the inextriction. On the basis of what is reported by the newspaper Le Figaroaccording to the usual terms, the second degree process could be held at least in a year and a further three months of waiting for the pronunciation of the new verdict will be needed, that is, just before the presidential vote of 2027 In the event of a sentence on appeal, the appeal to the Court of Cassation would then remain.
“How can we imagine that a non -definitive decision can hinder a candidacy? – he writes on Le Figaro Jean-Pierre Camby-Is the first instance criminal judge legitimate to adopt, as an exclusive effect of his sentence and his unquestionable judgment, a measure that has such irreversible effects on the country’s political life? “.
That’s not all. Yes, because what involved Le Pen is not the first process of this type in France. At the beginning of 2025, another French political party was accused of embezzlement of public funds, we speak of the centrist democratic movement (Modem), in coalition with the Renaissance party of Emmanuel Macron. Justice has imposed compensation of 300 thousand euros for using the funds of the deputies to finance the party but be careful: unlike what happened with the Le Pen, The party leader François Bayrou was acquitted. Suspension of the prison sentence and fines of tens of thousands of euros for ex -MEP and party members. Two weights and two measures. But are you amazed?
TheVermilion.com is also on WhatsApp. Simply click here to register for the channel and always be updated (free).