Marine Le Pen opened her appeal in a high-profile “fake jobs” case by telling judges she had “no sense of having committed the slightest offence” when her far-right party employed European Parliament assistants dating back to 2004 — a proceeding that could decide whether she can run for France’s presidency in 2027.
The former National Front leader, who now heads the National Rally (RN) bloc in parliament, argued the European institution was aware of the elements underpinning the contracts. “We concealed nothing,” she said, adding that if wrongdoing occurred, “the European Parliament did not play the warning role it should have.”
- Advertisement -
The case centers on a system that judges said operated from 2004 to 2016, using European Parliament funds to pay RN staff in France. In the initial verdict, the court barred Le Pen from running for office for five years, handed her a four-year prison sentence with two years suspended, and fined her €100,000. She walked out during sentencing and later denounced the ruling as a “political decision.”
What happens in this appeal could reshape France’s next presidential race. If the verdict is upheld, Le Pen would be blocked from the 2027 contest — long seen as her best chance to convert a decade of electoral gains into the presidency, as Emmanuel Macron is constitutionally barred from a third term. If the court shortens the ban and imposes no custodial time, she could still run. The appeal carries risk: prosecutors can seek stiffer penalties, up to a maximum of 10 years in prison and a €1 million fine.
The hearing is expected to span a month, with a decision due this summer. Alongside Le Pen, 24 former lawmakers, aides and accountants, as well as the party itself, were found guilty in the original judgment. Twelve defendants — including one of Le Pen’s sisters — chose not to appeal and accepted their convictions; another person sentenced has since died. Twelve others and the RN, however, are challenging the ruling. Judges in the first trial defended the ban, saying elected officials should not receive preferential treatment and citing a risk of reoffending.
The political stakes extend beyond Le Pen. RN’s president, Jordan Bardella — a rising star not named in the case — has been widely floated as the fallback candidate should Le Pen be sidelined. Le Pen herself has said “Bardella can win instead of me.” While a November poll projected Bardella would win a second-round run-off regardless of the opponent, he said Monday that a ruling barring Le Pen “would be deeply worrying for democracy,” adding he is not currently a presidential candidate but for prime minister.
Public opinion has tilted toward RN since the last presidential race. Forty-two percent of French respondents said they agreed with “ideas defended by the RN,” up from 29% before the 2022 vote, according to a Verian poll for Le Monde published Sunday. Le Pen took over the then-National Front from her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, in 2011 and has tried to shed its most abrasive image; he was frequently accused of racist and antisemitic remarks. Le Pen finished third in 2012 and reached the run-off in 2017 and 2022, losing both times to Macron.
News of the initial verdict jolted Le Pen’s base and rippled abroad. Supporters in France expressed shock, while the Kremlin and U.S. President Donald Trump voiced concern, according to statements cited by allies. Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon said last week he hoped Le Pen could still run so her election might “break” the European Union.
For now, Le Pen is betting her political future on the appeal, insisting the European Parliament was not misled and that her party acted transparently. The courtroom’s decision — expected within weeks — will determine whether she remains the face of France’s resurgent far right or must pass the torch sooner than planned.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
