Marine Le Pen faces dark clouds overhead: Potential prison sentence of 10 years

The trial, which revolves around the misappropriation of public funds from the EU, is scheduled to begin in fall 2024, according to the Paris public prosecutor's office.

A panel of judges assigned to the case, which concerns expenditure on MEP assistants who were, in reality, working for the party, will hold their initial hearing on September 30th. The court is expected to deliver its verdict by November 27, 2024.

Among the accused are key figures from the National Rally's leadership who are believed to have knowingly funneled EU funds towards the party's operations. The party itself will also face charges as a legal entity.

Allegations of improper handling of funds first arose seven years ago, when Marine Le Pen's party was known as the National Front.

The suspicions were brought to light in 2016, revealing that MEPs associated with the party, from 2004 to 2016, may have improperly managed their parliamentary expenditures. Assistants who were employed and paid by these MEPs were found to be working domestically, executing party orders.

A seven-year investigation culminated in an indictment submitted to a Paris court in September 2023. The list of defendants includes parliamentary assistants, 11 MEPs, Marine Le Pen, and her 95-year-old father, former party leader Jean-Marie Le Pen.

The European Parliament has estimated the financial damage from the misuse of funds allocated for MEPs' offices to be around 6.8 million euros. Marine Le Pen and her party have vehemently denied all allegations.

The prosecutor's office has indicated that if found guilty of embezzlement, Le Pen could face a 10-year prison sentence, a fine of up to 1 million euros, and be barred from holding public office for 10 years. This verdict could sabotage her political aspirations, as she has expressed intent to run for the presidency for the fourth time in the 2027 elections.