PARIS: French far-right leader Marine Le Pen went on trial on Monday on charges of embezzling European Parliament money, in a case that could endanger her presidential ambitions. “I will answer all the questions that the court wants to ask me,” the three-time presidential candidate told the Paris criminal court.

Le Pen and other National Rally (RN) party chiefs are accused of creating fake jobs to embezzle European Parliament money. If convicted, sanctions could include jail but also a decade-long ban from public office which would wreck Le Pen’s hopes of succeeding President Emmanuel Macron in a 2027 election.

The RN this year achieved record scores in European elections, performed strongly in France’s legislative vote and could decide the fate of Prime Minister Michel Barnier’s new minority government. “We have not broken any rules,” the 56-year-old said before the trial, adding she was “very calm”. Le Pen said “parliamentary freedom” was at stake and she was ready to defend it.

Le Pen is among 25 people charged at the trial, which is set to last until Nov 27. In the dock are the RN party, nine former MEPs including Le Pen and party vice-president Louis Aliot, spokesman Julien Odoul — one of nine former parliamentary assistants — and four RN staff.

“The main risk for the president of the RN group in the French National Assembly is not financial, but political,” said French daily Le Monde.

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First flagged in 2015, the alleged fake jobs system covers contracts for parliamentary assistants between 2004 and 2016. Prosecutors say the assistants worked exclusively for the party outside parliament.

Many were unable to describe their day-to-day work and some never met their supposed MEP boss or set foot in the parliament building.

Published in Dawn, October 1st, 2024