Le Pen in court – could be suspended from the presidential elections – Hufvudstadsbladet

The accusations against the big poster in the National Assembly (RN) relate to how the party used its aid funds from the European Parliament between 2004 and 2016.

Parliament has asked for a total refund of around €3.5 million, which it believes it will do Marine Le Pen Instead others used it for completely different things than what the money was for.

For example where Thierry Leger He has long been listed as an aide in the European Parliament – ​​although he worked as a bodyguard and driver for Marine's father, party founder Jean-Marie Le Pen.

The National Collection has repaid nearly €890,000 to the EU Parliament, but still claims it has done nothing wrong and that the entire claim is politically motivated.

-We have nothing to blame ourselves for. Le Pen told Le Parisien newspaper before the trial began on Monday that there was a legal misunderstanding of how the political world worked.

Officially, you risk heavy fines and up to ten years in prison. But she could also face a five-year ban from holding public office, which would then prevent her from running for president in 2027.

However, there does not appear to be any major concern about prosecution within the party. The National Assembly remains strong in the polls and is counting on its ability to once again present itself as a victim of the establishment during the fall trial.

Scandals in other parties benefit the National Front – but when there are scandals in the National Front, other parties do not benefit from them, political scientist Sylvain Crépon at the University of Tours tells AFP.