Le Pen is convicted of diversion of EU funds and can be ineligible in France

The Correctional Court of Paris declared on Monday, 31, the French policy Marine Le Pen, leader of the National Meeting Party (RN), guilty of embezzlement of European public funds during the period in which he was a mandate as a deputy in the European Parliament.

The decision involves eight other members of the subtitle and refers to the case known as the false parliamentary assistants.

The court ordered the immediate execution of the conviction, which may make a possible LE PEN candidacy to the presidency of France unfeasible in the elections provided for 2027.

The Court must still announce the penalties individually. The French prosecutor requested a penalty of five years in prison, two being closed, in addition to a fine of € 300,000 (approximately R $ 1.8 million).

According to the Court, the convicts used resources from the European Parliament to remunerate people who, although hired as parliamentary assistants, performed internal functions in the party. The estimated loss is € 2.9 million (about R $ 18 million).

“It is a question of ensuring that politicians, like all citizens, do not benefit from a regime of privileges,” said the president of the Court, Bénédicte de Perthuis.

Marine Le Pen, 56, left the court before reading the decision and did not comment to the press. During the weekend, in an interview with the newspaper La Tribune on Sundaythe deputy said she did not expect a conviction.

“I hear that we are nervous. Personally, I am not, but I understand that some may be … Judges have the power to define the fate of our party,” he said.

The investigation began in 2015, after the European Parliament identified inconsistencies in the performance of assistants linked to deputies of the national meeting.

According to the French Public Prosecution Service, contracts did not meet the criteria established for the function, since professionals did not perform parliamentary activities linked directly to work in Brussels or Strasbourg.

The decision may directly affect the French electoral scenario. Research released by the French Institute of Public Opinion (IFOP), in partnership with the newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche (JDD)showed that Marine Le Pen would lead the first round of a possible presidential election currently held, with an index between 34% and 37% of voting intentions, depending on competing candidates.

The national meeting has been consolidated as the main force of right -wing opposition in France in recent years. Le Pen was a presidential candidate on three occasions: 2012, 2017 and 2022. In the last election, he was defeated in the second round by current President Emmanuel Macron.

The conviction repercussions internationally. Russian government spokesman Dmitri Peskov has classified the episode as a “violation of democratic norms,” ​​but stated that it is “an internal issue of France.” Hungary Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has published a message of support for French policy on social network X (former Twitter), stating: “I’m Marine.”

The case of false parliamentary assistants had already resulted in the opening of inquiries against other members of the subtitle in previous years. In 2017, the European Parliament required the return of funds by Le Pen and other parliamentarians, on the grounds of irregular use of community funds.

The defense of the RN leader argued that hiring were carried out according to the rules and attributed political motivation to the process. The deputy’s lawyers can still appeal the decision, which would open a new legal chapter in the case.

With the immediate execution of the conviction, political effects should be felt in the short term. Ineligibility may alter subtitle planning to next elections and generate internal disputes on succession in party leadership.

The outcome of the case will also be closely monitored by national and international political leaders, considering the role of Marine Le Pen in the reconfiguration of the end European right.

In recent years, Le Pen has tried to reposition his political image and approach broader economic and social agendas, with the objective of expanding his electoral base.

In addition to the impact on Le Pen’s political career, conviction can also influence the debate on the use of European funds by national parties and the inspection mechanisms adopted by the European Union institutions.

The national meeting has not yet issued an official position on the decision of the French justice. New developments are expected by detailing individual penalties in the next sessions of the Court.

With information from RFI