France's far-right leader Marine Le Pen has thrown in recent weeks all her energy at a Paris trial into fighting what she calls unfair accusations that her party embezzled European Parliament funds. She is now facing a crucial moment where her eligibility to run for president in 2027 is at stake.
FILE - French far-right leader Marine Le Pen answers reporters at the Elysee Palace after a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, Aug. 26, 2024 in Paris. FILE - French far-right leader Marine Le Pen arrives at the courtroom for the trial over the suspected embezzlement of Europe an Parliament funds, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024 in Paris.
If found guilty, Le Pen and her co-defendants could face up to 10 years in prison and fines of up to 1 million euros each. But in recent days, Le Pen’s biggest concern focused on the court’s ability to impose a period of ineligibility to run for office. A similar case involving a French centrist party ended up with fines and suspended prison sentences earlier this year.
“I feel we didn’t succeed in convincing you,” Le Pen told the panel of three judges last week, as she detailed her arguments in a one-hour-and-a-half speech punctuated with political remarks seemingly meant to be heard by the many journalists in the courtroom. Parliamentary aide “is a status,” she said. “It says nothing about the job, nothing about the work required, from the secretary to the speechwriter, from the lawyer to the graphic designer, from the bodyguard to the MEP’s office employee.”
Often, they could hear her bringing precisions or rectifications even when it wasn’t her turn to address the court. Sometimes, she would punctuate a point they made with a loud “voilà” . The president of the court, Bénédicte de Perthuis, said no matter what political issues may be at stake, the court was to stick to a legal reasoning.
Marine Le Pen France Legal Proceedings France Government Embezzlement General News Donald Trump European Union Corporate Crime World News Theft Politics European Parliament
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
France’s far-right leader Marine Le Pen faces court on charges of embezzling EU fundsFrench far-right leader Marine Le Pen is to answer the judges’ questions at a Paris court Monday as she and her National Rally party stand trial over the suspected embezzlement of European Parliament funds
Read more »
France's Marine Le Pen rejects embezzlement claims as her presidential bid hangs in balanceFrance's far-right leader Marine Le Pen has thrown in recent weeks all her energy at a Paris trial into fighting what she calls unfair accusations that her party embezzled European Parliament funds.
Read more »
France’s far-right leader Marine Le Pen faces court on charges of embezzling EU fundsThe nine-week trial is a critical juncture for Le Pen, expected to be a strong contender in France’s next presidential election in 2027.
Read more »
France’s far-right leader Marine Le Pen faces court on charges of embezzling EU fundsFrench far-right leader Marine Le Pen is to answer the judges’ questions at a Paris court Monday as she and her National Rally party stand trial over the suspected embezzlement of European Parliament funds.
Read more »
France’s far-right leader Marine Le Pen faces court on charges of embezzling EU fundsFrench far-right leader Marine Le Pen is to answer the judges’ questions at a Paris court Monday as she and her National Rally party stand trial over the suspected embezzlement of European Parliament funds.
Read more »
France’s far-right leader Marine Le Pen faces court on charges of embezzling EU fundsFrench far-right leader Marine Le Pen is to answer the judges’ questions at a Paris court Monday as she and her National Rally party stand trial over the suspected embezzlement of European Parliament funds. She has denied any wrongdoing. She has denied any wrongdoing.
Read more »