The trial opened today (30 September) in Paris in which Marine Le Pen and 24 other members of the National Rassemblement are accused, all accused of having set up a system to pay politicians and employees of the transalpine right-wing party through the illegal use of European Union funds. A process that could put Le Pen’s bid for the presidency of the Republic at risk.
The case
The issue dates back to when the leader of the RN held the role of MEP, i.e. from 2004 to 2017. In addition to her, other MEPs of the time are also involved such as Louis Aliot, now vice-president of the RN, the former number two of the party Bruno Gollnisch and the deputy and spokesperson Julien Odoul. Their 12 parliamentary assistants at the time and four other party employees will also be judged in this trial.
The case broke out in 2015 when the then President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz reported inconsistencies relating to a large number of contracts for parliamentary assistants. The defendants are accused of using money intended for work in the European Parliament to instead pay staff who worked for their party, which was called the National Front at the time. According to the accusation, some people reported as “assistants”, and who were therefore paid a salary with European public money, would never have set foot in Parliament and would have worked only for their party.
But the issue does not only concern parliamentary assistants. Thierry Légier, historic bodyguard of Jean-Marie Le Pen, Marine’s father and founder of the party, Le Pen’s chief of staff Catherine Griset and even the party graphic designer will also have to defend themselves from the accusations.
“Marine, would it be possible for me to come to Strasbourg tomorrow to see how a session (at parliament) runs and meet Mylène Troszcynski, to whom I report?”. This is what we read in a message sent by Julien Odoul to Marine Le Pen in 2015, four months after being hired as parliamentary assistant to MEP Troszcynski, which suggests that despite the hiring he was not performing the role he was intended for at all. paid.
Elections at risk
The defendants, who are on trial for misappropriation of public funds or complicity in this crime, face a maximum of ten years in prison and a fine of one million euros, as well as a ten-year disqualification from standing for election, which could hinder Le Pen’s presidential ambitions for 2027.
To the newspaper Le Parisien, the French politician declared that she “has nothing to reproach herself for” specifying that “parliamentary assistants are not employees of the European Parliament and obviously have, by vocation, the ambition to do politics”. The European Parliament, a civil party, estimated his financial damage at three million euros. He will only ask for two million, one million has already been reimbursed.
“Marine Le Pen has chosen to be very present in this process. Some say she will hide, but this is not the style of the house” assured the RN MP Sébastien Chenu, promising that the former president will present “a series of new elements ” to prove his innocence.
