The leader of the French far -right and eight MEPs of her party were found guilty of embezzlement of public money.
The Paris Court imposed, among other things, a five -year right to deprivation of the right to be elected, which means that it cannot be nominated in the 2027 presidential election.
According to the Paris Court’s ruling, for many years, Marin Lepen’s party used the European funds that had the right to receive from the European Parliament (of 4m euros) to pay, through virtual employment contracts, his professional executives and not – as he owes – their partners.
The court also ruled that Marin Lepen had known all this since 2009, noting that the goal was not her personal enrichment. The court also ruled that in principle the imposition of the deprivation of the right of the election is imperative in the case of Marin Lepen.
During the hearing, Marin Lepen said innocently and left before hearing her entire sentence.
⚡️BREAKING: A court in Paris has found Marine Le Pen and 8 of her National Rally associates guilty of embezzling European Parliament funds, Le Monde reports.
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv)
The case concerns public money abuse, and in particular whether Marin Lepen’s party has used the European funds that had the right to receive from the European Parliament to pay its professional executives and not, as it should, as its MEPs.
Will appeal
The leader of the French far -right Marin Lepen will bring the conviction against her, said Rodolf Boselu’s lawyer. “This is a blow to democracy”he told reporters outside the headquarters of the far -right national alarm in Paris.
