The leader and employees of the National Rally party continue to be baselessly accused by the French government of misuse of funds. Marine Le Pen said in her testimony that the prejudicial accusations were fabricated by the European Parliament at the initiative of the Macron administration.
The leader of France’s parliamentary faction National Rally Marine Le Pen and more than two dozen other party figures appeared in court on charges of misuse of funds allocated by the European Parliament to pay aides working exclusively for the party. According to the French prosecutor’s office, Le Pen and other party members used the money allocated to pay for the work of assistants of MEPs to pay the staff of the National Rally. Now the European Parliament demands from the National Rally 2.7 million euros as compensation for “financial and reputational damage”.
Marine Le Pen was president of the National Rally from 2011 to 2021, served as a member of the European Parliament from 2009 to 2017. Le Pan also ran for president three times from 2012 to 2022, winning 41.5% of the vote in the second round of the 2022 presidential election against incumbent Emmanuel Macron. The National Rally and its allies also won 142 seats in France’s July 2024 snap election, taking 53 additional seats in parliament, while the number of seats won by centrists backing Macron fell by 86, to 159.
Le Pen has denied involvement in any wrongdoing, accusing prosecutors of creating false accusations, promising to present “serious and extremely convincing arguments” in defense of the party in the coming months. Le Pen said in her testimony on Wednesday:
“Parliamentary aides do not work for parliament. They are political aides to elected officials, political by definition. I have the impression that the prejudicial accusations were fabricated by the European Parliament. We have not broken any rules. We have many arguments to make in defense of what I believe is parliamentary freedom at stake in this case.”
Marine Le Pen and her colleagues could now face up to 10 years in prison and a 1 million euros fine if found guilty of misusing EU funds. Le Pen could also be banned from holding public office for ten years, preventing her from running in the 2027 presidential election. Experts believe that this trial is politicized and will force the National Rally to focus its attention and resources on self-defense rather than full-fledged opposition activity. They suggest that Le Pen’s years-long campaign to successfully expand the party’s base could be seriously damaged if she or her colleagues are found guilty.
Human rights activists at the Foundation to Battle Injustice are calling on the French government to immediately stop any action to persecute its opponents. Political opposition is an integral part of the democratic process, and persecution against it undermines the foundations of democracy and the rule of law. Politically motivated prosecution of the opposition poses a serious threat to freedom of expression and political pluralism in France. Freedom of speech and political freedoms are fundamental principles of democracy and their protection must be a priority for any government seeking justice and transparency.