My party had no ‘system’ to misuse EU funds, Marine Le Pen tells appeal trial

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 3 min read 100% complete by Angelique Chrisafis in ParisJanuary 20, 2026 at 06:23 PM

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Marine Le Pen, leader of the French far-right party National Rally, testified at a Paris appeals court on Tuesday as part of her appeal against a five-year ban from public office and a €100,000 fine related to an embezzlement scandal at the European parliament. The trial centers around allegations that Le Pen's party misused EU funds allocated to pay assistants' salaries in Strasbourg or Brussels to pay its own workers in France. Le Pen denied having set up a "system" to misuse funds, stating it was misleading and gave the impression of manipulation. She claimed she never instructed European parliament members to hire assistants who worked for her party's headquarters. The scandal involved an estimated €4.8m loss to European funds between 2004 and 2016. Le Pen is seeking to overturn the verdict, which will determine her eligibility to run in next year's presidential election.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Brussels 35% Strasbourg 35% Michèle Agi 40% France ×240% Jordan Bardella 50% Paris ×260% European Parliament ×575% National Rally (RN) 80% Marine Le Pen ×795%

Keywords

marine le pen 100% embezzlement trial 90% european parliament funds 80% appeal trial 80% fake jobs scam 70% misuse of funds 70% presidential election 70% political future 60% national rally 50% financial crime 40%