Embezzlement trial to decide Le Pen’s future

A French court is set to rule on Monday in the trial of far-right leader Marine Le Pen over an alleged embezzlement scheme.

Le Pen said her “political death” is at stake as the court prepares to rule on on whether she and members of her National Rally (RN) party misused €3 million ($3.25 million) in European Parliament funds meant for parliamentary assistants.

Prosecutors allege the money was used to pay France-based party staff between 2004 and 2016, violating EU rules.

Le Pen, 56, denies wrongdoing, calling the case a political attack aimed at ending her career. 

“There are 11 million people who voted for the movement I represent,” said Le Pen, adding that a verdict against her would mean “potentially millions of French people seeing themselves deprived of their candidate in the election.”

Le Pen’s political career at stake

Prosecutors have asked that Le Pen face an immediate five-year ban from public office if found guilty, regardless of any appeal process.

This could prevent her from running in the 2027 presidential election, where she is a leading contender. An appeal would trigger a retrial, likely in 2026, just months before the vote. 

Le Pen’s party said the trial is a judicial overreach, similar to what US President Donald Trump had said about his legal troubles in the past.

“With provisional execution, the judges have the power of life or death over our movement,” she said. “But I don’t think they’ll go that far.”

Some of her rivals, including Prime Minister Francois Bayrou, have expressed concern over courts deciding who can run for office.

If not Le Pen, then who?

An acquittal would bolster Le Pen’s efforts to bring the National Rally more toward the mainstream and away from the stigma of racism and antisemitism associated with its earlier iteration, the National Front.

Once ran by her father, RN is now the biggest single party in France’s parliament.

If she is disqualified, RN president Jordan Bardella, 29, is expected to take her place. He, however, is not expected to match her electoral appeal.