French politician Marine Le Pen has criticized the severity of the prosecution’s demands following embezzlement charges brought against her for her alleged knowledge of the “European parliamentary assistants affair,” calling the requisitions “violent” and “outrageous” and accusing them of attempting to eliminate a prominent opposition voice in French politics.
“It’s not a surprise,” Le Pen stated on Wednesday, in response to the prosecution’s request for a five-year prison sentence with three years suspended, a €300,000 fine, and five years of ineligibility from public office. Particularly contentious is the prosecution’s request for exécution provisoire, which would require her sentence to be applied immediately, even if she were to appeal.
Le Pen, the leader of the National Rally (RN) parliamentary group and a former presidential candidate, condemned what she described as an “outrageous” move to curtail her political rights. “The prosecution is seeking to deprive the French of the ability to vote for those they want,” Le Pen said, adding that she believes the legal actions against her are an attempt to “financially ruin the party” she once led and to damage its prospects in future elections.
The National Rally stormed to victory in the European parliamentary elections in France earlier this year and maintained a strong showing in the snap election called by Emmanuel Macron weeks later.
In a show of solidarity, leaders across Europe and within France’s political spectrum have spoken out against the perceived targeting of Le Pen. Current RN president Jordan Bardella echoed her sentiments, calling the prosecution’s actions “a form of relentless political vengeance.”
He warned that the charges against Le Pen are “aimed at depriving millions of French people of their vote in 2027” and described the request for immediate enforcement as an “attack on democracy.” For context, Le Pen is expected to run for the presidency again in under three years’ time.
The case has even drawn criticism from within mainstream French politics, with former Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin condemning the potential five-year ineligibility sentence for Le Pen as “deeply shocking.”
“Fighting Madame Le Pen is done at the ballot box, not elsewhere. If the court decides that she must be condemned, she cannot be condemned electorally, without the expression of the people,” he wrote on X, urging caution against widening the gap between “elites” and voters, emphasizing that democracy should not be decided in courtrooms.
Éric Ciotti, a former president of rival center-right party Les Républicains, also voiced his support, tweeting, “The course of French democracy must not be confiscated from voters again.” Ciotti’s remarks referenced the 2017 embezzlement charges against former Prime Minister François Fillon, which marred his presidential campaign just weeks before the election, in which he ultimately lost. “Support for Marine Le Pen. The democratic destiny of our nation must be decided at the ballot box and not in politicized courtrooms,” Ciotti added.
Nationalist and right-wing voices across Europe have also rallied behind Le Pen. Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, facing his own legal battles regarding migration policies, expressed his solidarity: “Required 5 years in prison and ineligibility for Marine Le Pen. Even in France, they are trying in every way to stop the popular will and the democratic wind of change.”
Salvini, a longtime ally of Le Pen, extended “all our support to my friend and ally Marine. Don’t give up!”
Another of Le Pen’s nationalist adversaries Éric Zemmour, leader of Reconquête, joined in condemning the prosecution’s actions. “Whatever our disagreements, it is surely not up to justice to decide who can be a candidate in the presidential election,” he said, voicing concerns over what he perceives as judicial interference in democratic processes.
What do the charges against Le Pen relate to?
The case against Le Pen dates back to an anonymous 2015 report to French authorities from the European Parliament, which alleged that RN funds intended for parliamentary assistants were being used to finance party operations. Prosecutors claim that between 2004 and 2016, nearly €3 million in EU funds were misappropriated to pay party employees in France.
Specific examples include a parliamentary assistant allegedly working as Jean-Marie Le Pen’s private secretary and another reportedly stationed at RN headquarters, despite being listed as an assistant for Le Pen’s European parliamentary role.
The prosecution has pursued strict penalties not only against Le Pen but also against other party members implicated in the scheme. Additionally, they have requested a €4.3 million fine for the RN itself.
Le Pen, however, maintains that the charges are exaggerated and politically motivated, aimed at preventing her potential candidacy in the 2027 presidential election.
