A Paris appeals court upheld the embezzlement conviction of far-right politician Marine Le Pen and her party for misusing European Parliament funds, but revised her punishment to permit her continued involvement in elections.
The court found Le Pen, along with 11 other individuals and her National Rally party, guilty of diverting money meant for European parliamentary assistants to instead support the party’s operations in France. The scheme lasted from 2004 to 2016, causing financial losses of 2.8 million euros, which the defendants were ordered to repay.
Judges described the fraud as systematic, noting that contracts were knowingly fabricated to illegally fund the party with European funds. Le Pen received a three-year prison sentence, with two years suspended, and a 100,000-euro fine. The remaining year will be served under house arrest with an electronic monitoring bracelet.
A key change came in the ineligibility penalty: while Le Pen received a 45-month ban from holding public office, 30 months were suspended. The court ruled that the time she has already served under this ban since March 31, 2025, was sufficient, stating that enforcing further restrictions would undermine democratic principles and voters’ rights.
This decision significantly alters a previous ruling that threatened to derail her 2027 presidential ambitions. The court noted that the scheme was driven by Le Pen and her father, with support from the party’s treasurer and other lawmakers. Convictions also applied to prominent figures like Louis Aliot and Nicolas Bay.
The case emerged after the European Parliament president reported suspected misuse of funds in March 2015. The defendants have 10 days to seek a final appeal to the country’s highest court.