Additional Coverage:
- French far-right leader Le Pen faces appeal trial that could decide her 2027 presidential run (nbcnews.com)
Marine Le Pen’s Political Future Hangs in Balance as Embezzlement Appeal Begins
Paris, France – Marine Le Pen, the prominent far-right leader in France, returned to court on Tuesday to appeal a conviction for embezzling European Parliament funds, a case that could significantly impact her aspirations for the 2027 presidential election.
The 57-year-old political figure is seeking to overturn a March ruling that found her guilty of misusing EU funds. That initial verdict delivered a five-year ban from holding elected office, two years of house arrest with an electronic bracelet, an additional two-year suspended sentence, and a 100,000-euro fine.
“I hope I’ll be able to convince the judges of my innocence,” Le Pen stated to reporters on Monday, expressing optimism about the new judicial panel. “It’s a new court with new judges. The case will be reset, so to speak.”
Prior to last year’s conviction, which sent ripples through French politics, Le Pen was widely considered a potential front-runner to succeed President Emmanuel Macron in the upcoming 2027 election. She vehemently denounced the initial ruling as “a democratic scandal,” suggesting it was a deliberate attempt to thwart her political ambitions. Her National Rally party has consistently topped recent opinion polls, further fueling her claims that the judicial system deployed “the nuclear bomb” to prevent her ascent to the presidency.
The appeal trial, which includes Le Pen and 11 co-defendants, is slated to run for five weeks. A three-judge panel at the Paris appeals court is expected to deliver its verdict at a later date, potentially before the summer.
The possible outcomes range from a full acquittal to another conviction, which could or could not include a ban from the 2027 election. Le Pen also faces the potential of up to 10 years in prison and a 1-million euro fine.
The original conviction in March stemmed from allegations that Le Pen and other party officials misused funds designated for EU parliamentary assistants between 2004 and 2016. The court found that some of these individuals were performing duties for the National Front (as the party was then known) in French domestic politics, in violation of EU regulations.
The presiding judge emphasized that Le Pen was at the center of a “system” designed to divert EU parliamentary funds, including those used to pay for her bodyguard and chief of staff. While all defendants denied wrongdoing, with Le Pen asserting the funds were used legitimately, the judge clarified that there was no evidence of personal enrichment.
These legal proceedings were initiated following a 2015 alert from Martin Schulz, then-president of the European Parliament, to French authorities.
The ongoing case and its potential repercussions are significant for Le Pen’s political trajectory, especially after more than a decade dedicated to mainstreaming the far right in France. Since taking over the party from her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, in 2011, she has actively worked to shed its controversial reputation for racism and antisemitism.
This strategy has involved changing the party’s name, expelling her father in 2015, and moderating both the party’s platform and her public persona. These efforts have yielded considerable results, with the National Rally now holding the largest number of seats in France’s lower house of parliament and establishing a broad network of elected officials nationwide.
In 2021, Le Pen stepped down as party president to concentrate on her presidential bid, handing the reins to Jordan Bardella, now 30. Should she ultimately be barred from running in 2027, Bardella is widely anticipated to become her successor. His popularity has surged, particularly among younger voters, though some within the party have raised questions about his leadership.
Bardella expressed concern over Le Pen’s potential conviction, stating on Monday in a New Year address that it would be “deeply worrying for (France’s) democracy.”