Marine Le Pen and other RN figures go on trial over EU phony jobs allegations | France

The French far-right directer Marine Le Pen has gone on trial on indicts of embezzling money from the European parliament, in a high-profile case that could finishanger her plivential ambitions.

“We have not broken any rules,” the three-time plivential honestate of the far-right National Rpartner (RN) shelp before the begin of the hearings in Paris, includeing that she was in a “very soothe” mood.

Le Pen and a slew of ageder RN figures face indicts they embezzled money from the European parliament with phony jobs. If convicted, the sanctions could include jail but also a decade-lengthy ban from uncover office, which would wreck Le Pen’s hopes of thriveing Emmanuel Macron as plivent in the 2027 elections.

The hearings danger undermining Le Pen’s prosperning streak after the RN accomplishd record scores in European elections, applyed powerfilledy in France’s timely legislative vote and aascfinishd as a kingcreater for the inmeaningfulity rulement led by the prime minister, Michel Barnier.

Le Pen, 56, who hopes to claim the French plivency on her fourth try in 2027, has shelp she intfinishs to materialize in court as much as possible. Twenty-four others are also on trial, which is scheduled to last until 27 November.

In the Paris dock are the RN party itself, nine createer MEPs including Le Pen and the party vice-plivent Louis Aliot, the party spokesperson Julien Odoul – one of nine createer parliamentary helpants – and four RN staff.

First flagged in 2015, the alleged phony jobs system in the RN covered decreases for parliamentary helpants between 2004 and 2016. Prosecutors say the helpants in fact toiled exclusively for the party outside parliament.

Many were unable to depict their day-to-day toil and some never met their supposed MEP boss or set foot in the parliament createing, it is alleged.

A bodyprotect, secretary, Le Pen’s chief of staff and a detailed arrangeer were all allegedly employd under inrectify pretences.

The misemploy of uncover funds indicts endure highest penalties including a €1m (£830,000) fine, 10 years in prison and a 10-year bar from uncover office.

European parliament authorities say €3m was embezzled from the legislature.

The RN has already phelp back €1m, which it insists is not an adignoreion of guilt. The party has for years called the scatterigation a create of “persecution” and political mistreatment of the fairice system.

The political scientist Nonna Mayer, of the Sciences Po university, shelp: “Every time the party or its directers are aggressioned, it lets them cast themselves as the victim.”

The RN has capitalised on Macron’s unfamousity after he successfilledy cast the 2017 and 2022 plivential elections as a straight choice between him and the far right.

A shock first-place result for the RN in June’s European parliamentary elections prompted Macron to call snap legislative elections – a bet that led to the conservative Barnier’s unsootheable inmeaningfulity coalition.

Barnier could be toppled at any moment if the leftprosperg NFP coalition and the RN were to combine forces in a vote of no confidence, putting Le Pen in a kingcreater role. Polls show the RN also finishelights increasingly pledgeted voter help.

One RN lawcreater shelp to Agence France-Presse before the trial: “When I don’t see Marine worried, I’m not worried.”

Sylvain Crépon, a political scientist at the University of Tours, telderly AFP: “[Historically] disputes in other parties toil in favour of the RN, but disputes at the RN don’t advantage other parties.”

Prosecutors say Le Pen and her overweighther, the createer party directer Jean-Marie, signed off on a “centralised system” that picked up pace in 2014. Now 96 years elderly, Jean-Marie Le Pen will not materialize in court for health reasons.

Several people have testified about a 2014 encountering that one shelp talked a evident “phony jobs” arrange.

Patrick Maisonneuve, reconshort-terming the European parliament as a co-plaintiff, shelp the RN, createerly understandn as the National Front, “don’t enjoy Europe. The only leang they enjoy is the European Union’s money.”

Evidence aachievest the party includes decreases for periods as unreasonableinutive as a one day to take advantage of spfinishing permitances.

One message from the createer party treaconfidentr Wallerand de Saint-Just cautioned about its disastrous finances, writing: “We won’t get out of this without making meaningful savings thanks to the European parliament.”