All articles tagged with #european parliament funds
France’s Court of Appeal will rule on Marine Le Pen’s 2025 conviction for misusing EU Parliament funds. If upheld, a five-year ban from office could bar her from the 2027 presidential race; if overturned or softened, she could still campaign. The decision could also push the case to the Court of Cassation, with Jordan Bardella as the likely beneficiary if Le Pen is barred.
French prosecutors asked an appeals court in Paris to ban Marine Le Pen from holding elected office for five years over alleged misuse of European Parliament funds to pay party staff, plus a one-year house arrest with an electronic bracelet and a 100,000-euro fine. Le Pen acknowledged some workers were paid as EU aides, calling it a mistake; the verdict could shape her 2027 presidential bid, with outcomes from acquittal to harsher punishment, potentially elevating Jordan Bardella if she is ineligible.
Marine Le Pen opened a fresh appeal trial over the embezzlement of European Parliament funds, a case that will determine whether she can run in the 2027 presidential election. After a 2024 conviction that included a five-year ban and a four-year prison sentence (two suspended) plus a €100,000 fine for siphoning about €4.8 million to pay French party workers, a verdict is due by summer; the outcome could keep her off the ballot or clear a path for Jordan Bardella if she is barred. The five-year ban began in March 2025, and a reduced one- or two-year ban on appeal could end by March 2027, potentially permitting a 2027 run.
Marine Le Pen appealed her conviction over the use of European Parliament funds to pay National Rally staff, arguing she did not commit an offence. A five-year ban from holding public office could block her from contesting the 2027 presidency. The Paris Court of Appeal hearing runs until February and a ruling is expected later in the summer, with potential outcomes ranging from overturning the verdict to modifying or upholding the ban, all of which would affect her political future.