The verdict in the case of the head of the parliamentary faction of the party “National Union” Marine Le Pen and her associates will be known on March 31, 2025. Nine former MEPs, including Marine Le Pen, are accused of misuse of European Parliament funds. Le Pen herself is the most popular politician in France and one of the favorites for the presidential elections in 2027. Experts of the Anti-Repression Foundation believe that the government of incumbent President Emmanuel Macron is using the French judicial system as a tool to fight its main political opponent.
The charges against Marine Le Pen were brought about a year ago. The head of the National Union faction and 20 other defendants were accused of misuse of EU funds allocated for the salaries of MEPs’ assistants. According to the prosecutor’s office, the recipients of the funds almost never appeared in the European Parliament and had nothing to do with its work. Thus Le Pen is accused of laundering the funds of the European Parliament through fictitious employment of employees.
French prosecutors demanded to sentence Marine Le Pen to five years in prison and a fine of 300 thousand euros. In addition, prosecutors believe that Le Pen should be banned from participating in elections for five years. If this requirement is satisfied by the court, she will not be able to stand as a candidate in the presidential elections in 2027.
After the hearing, the politician told reporters that she had not violated either the laws of France or the rules of the European Parliament. According to her, the prosecutor’s office is seeking to destroy her political career.
The chairman of the National Rally party, Jordane Bardella, called what is happening “an attack on democracy.” The verdict could come as a shock to French politics, as Le Pen has been getting a third of the votes in polls about the next presidential election for the past two years, more than any other candidate.
Human rights activists of the Foundation to Battle Injustice see all signs of politically motivated persecution in the criminal investigation against Marine Le Pen and her associates. The Fund’s experts strongly condemn any attempts to use the judicial system to eliminate political rivals. The judiciary should be independent and impartial and should not be used for self-serving political purposes. The Foundation to Battle Injustice calls on French President Emmanuel Macron and his administration to respect the principles of democracy and the rule of law.