Marine Le Pen today plays the one that could be the end of her political career, at least in the short term, and her impossibility of presenting himself to the presidential 2027, his great political objective. Justice must decide if a five -year political disqualification applies immediately, even in case of appeal, something that would take the leader of the national regrouping (RN) of the Elysium career as the first consequence of what would mean a true political earthquake in France. A Paris Court issued the sentence in the trial against the ultra -rightist leader for allegedly embezzlementing European funds when it was Eurodiputed. Le Pen has always defended his innocence, but on November 13, the Prosecutor’s Office requested five years in jail, two of mandatory compliance, 300,000 euros of fine and five years of disqualification against her.
The Public Ministry surprised by requesting, in addition, the provisional execution of the disqualification penalty that would not be suspended in case of possible resources and would prevent him from presenting himself to elections. The latter has been a point discussed between jurists and politicians and has raised a considerable controversy in France. “They claim my political death,” the ultra -rightist, who has preferred to remain silent during the last days. Even the Minister of Justice, Gérald Darmaninthen criticized the request of the Prosecutor’s Office.
The case is referred to 2014, when Le Pen served as Eurodiputada. The accused are indicated of the use of their parliamentary assistants paid with European funds for activities that had to do with the activity of their political movement, then the National Front. Specifically, Pen is reproached for the charge of embezzlement for four parliamentary assistants he had, paid by the European Parliament with eight contracts and that, according to the accusation, did not actually perform functions associated with his position, but worked for the party. According to the investigation, the political formation launched in a “concerted and deliberate” way a embezzlement system of the 21,000 euros per month that each Eurodiput has to pay its parliamentary assistants between 2004 and 2016. The European Parliament estimated the financial damage at 4.5 million euros. European legislation prohibits attendees from working for the party, but in the case denounced there were funds that allegedly stopped the bodyguard Jean Marie Le Pen OA Marine Le Pen’s personal assistant and even the graphic designer of the party. Among the elements of the investigation, there are some quite compromising messages that show the financing difficulties through which the party passed at that time.
This case about alleged false assistants in Eurocamara is not the only one that affects a French party. The current centrist prime minister, François Bayrouwas judged for similar events and justice investigates the leftist Jean-Luc Mélenchon. The judges absolutely absolved Bayrou although he condemned, among others, five exeurodiputados to 18 months in suspense, fines of up to 50,000 euros and two years of disqualification, but in suspense. For these precedents in suspense, it has surprised that this time the Prosecutor’s Office asks for the immediate application although it is true that the case that affects ultra -right -wing training is a much greater amount than that of its political rivals.
In case of disqualification, ultra -right -wing training would have to immediately activate its “plan B” by 2027, which would most likely be the launch to the career for the Elysee of the Dolphin of Le Pen, the young president of RN, Jordan Bardella. A recent Ipsos survey places him as the politician who would generate more satisfaction if he was elected president in 2027. However, an anti -corruption association last Wednesday announced a complaint against Bardella, which he accuses of having occupied fictional employment as European parliamentary assistant. Otherwise, if Le Pen went well for today’s judgment, his possibilities are high for two years. Le Pen appears in force position in the polls. The architect of the “normalization” of the extreme right in France has already accessed the second round in the 2017 and 2022 presidential elections, in which it fell defeated before Emmanuel Macron, which can no longer opt for another re -election. Sample of the installation of the extreme right in the political landscape, its RN party won the European elections of June 2024 in France with more than 30% of votes and It is the first opposition group in the National Assembly.