Marine Le Pen faces crucial Paris appeals trial over misuse of EU funds

French Far-Right Leader Marine Le Pen Faces Critical Appeals Trial That Could Alter France’s Political Future

Marine Le Pen’s political career hangs in the balance as the French far-right leader appeared in a Paris appeals court Tuesday, fighting to overturn a ruling that could prevent her from running in France’s 2027 presidential election.

The National Rally party leader is seeking to reverse a March verdict that found her guilty of misappropriating European Parliament funds between 2004 and 2016. That conviction resulted in a five-year ban from holding elected office, a two-year house arrest term with electronic monitoring, and an additional two-year suspended sentence.

Le Pen, 57, who has twice finished as runner-up to Emmanuel Macron in presidential elections, told the court that her party had not knowingly broken any rules. “We did not feel we had committed any offense,” she testified, arguing that European Parliament officials never informed her party that their staffing practices potentially violated regulations.

The allegations center on approximately €2.9 million ($3.4 million) in EU parliamentary funds that prosecutors say the National Rally improperly used to pay party staff rather than legitimate parliamentary aides. The investigation began after Martin Schulz, then-president of the European Parliament, alerted French authorities to potential fraud in 2015.

Prosecutors contend that Le Pen’s bodyguard, her personal assistant, and even her sister were paid with EU funds while performing duties unrelated to European Parliament work. One aide reportedly worked as a graphic designer for the party while being compensated with EU money.

In her defense, Le Pen acknowledged possible organizational flaws but denied deliberate wrongdoing. “That was how it was. It may have been reprehensible, questionable — the system was not ideal, I am aware of that — but all of those people were actually working,” she stated during Tuesday’s proceedings.

Le Pen further argued that resource-sharing was a practical necessity. “We pooled a certain number of aides — though not all of them. I note that over this entire 10-year period, the European Parliament never advised us nor reproached us for having aides who were obviously working with several MEPs,” she testified.

The outcome of this five-week trial, expected before summer, carries profound implications for France’s political landscape. If the court overturns the original verdict, Le Pen would likely emerge strengthened and well-positioned as the frontrunner for the 2027 presidential election, according to recent opinion polls.

However, if the conviction stands, Le Pen has designated her 30-year-old protégé, Jordan Bardella, as her successor. Bardella, who has gained popularity particularly among younger voters, would face significant challenges despite his rising profile. Critics point to his relative inexperience, scripted public appearances, and perceived knowledge gaps on economic and international issues as potential weaknesses for a presidential candidate.

The March ruling was particularly harsh, with the court describing Le Pen’s actions as part of “a fraudulent system” that constituted “a democratic bypass” unfair to political competitors. Judges cited “the seriousness of the acts committed” and “the harm caused both to citizens’ trust in public life and to the interests of the European Parliament” as justification for the severe penalties.

Following that verdict, Le Pen and her party allies denounced what they called “a democratic scandal,” suggesting political motivation behind the ruling. “The system brought out the nuclear bomb,” Le Pen said. “And if it is using such a powerful weapon against us, it’s obviously because we’re about to win the elections.” Such rhetoric echoes claims made by other populist leaders facing legal challenges.

The trial comes at a crucial moment for the National Rally, which has spent 15 years working to shed its extremist image and bring far-right politics into France’s mainstream. Despite falling short of an outright majority, the party became the largest single political group in France’s lower house of parliament in 2024, marking a significant milestone in its normalization strategy.

As the appeals process unfolds, the French political establishment watches closely, aware that the court’s decision could dramatically reshape the country’s political future and determine whether Le Pen will have one final opportunity to implement her nationalist, anti-immigration agenda from the Élysée Palace.