A court in Paris will announce the verdict in the case of misuse of funds in the European Parliament (EP) for some members of the "National Rally" party, including Marine Le Pen. The hearing will begin at 10:00 a.m. local time, "Figaro" specified.
The investigation into misuse of EP funds began in 2014. Then the European Anti-Fraud Office asked Le Pen to repay 339 thousand euros. She is suspected of paying the salaries of her secretary Catherine Grisset and security guard Thierry Leger from EU funds while they were employed by her party.
According to the investigation, through "fictitious employment of assistants in the European Parliament, there is a financial scheme to embezzle European funds". Among the accused, in addition to Le Pen, are the mayor of Perpignan Louis Aliot and the former vice-president of the "National Assembly" Bruno Golnisch.
The prosecutor's office is demanding a ban on Le Pen from participating in elections and holding elected positions for five years, as well as a five-year prison sentence and a fine of 300,000 euros. If the court approves the prosecutor's requests, Le Pen will not be able to participate in the election campaign before the presidential election in 2027.
According to a public opinion poll published by Le Journal du Dimanche on March 30, she could lead in the first round of these elections, receiving, according to various sources, from 34% to 37% of the vote.
Her main rivals in any scenario remain representatives of the political camp of the current French President Emmanuel Macron - former prime ministers Edouard Philippe (20-25%) and Gabriel Attal (20%).
The far right is also considering a Plan B, in which Jordan Bardella would replace Le Pen in the presidential campaign.
If the court bans Le Pen from holding elected office, she will likely lose her parliamentary mandate, even if she decides to appeal. the verdict.
Experts suggest that the court could restrict her rights to run for office and hold elected office for a shorter period than the one requested by the prosecutor's office. This would allow her to run for president in 2027.
Le Pen has consistently denied the charges against her and during one of the court hearings said that the prosecutor's request was "an attempt to destroy the party".