Marine Le Pen expressed her “serenity” at the opening of the trial in the case of the parliamentary assistants of the National Front (FN), theancestor of the National Rally (RN). With 24 other people, as well as with the party, as a legal entity, Marine Le Pen has been appearing since 1:45 p.m. Monday September 30 before the Paris criminal court. They are suspected of having embezzled funds from the European Parliament between 2004 and 2016 to pay party employees. “We didn’t break any rules,” told the press the leader of the far right, who faces ten years in prison, a fine of up to one million euros and an additional penalty of ten years of ineligibility. “We have a lot of arguments to develop to defend what appears to me to be the parliamentary freedom which is at issue in this affair,” she added before entering the room. Follow our live stream.
Nine former FN MEPs will appear. During this trial, nine former FN MEPs will appear, including Marine Le Pen, Louis Aliot, now vice-president of the RN, the former number 2 of the party Bruno Gollnisch, and the deputy and spokesperson of the RN Julien Odoul. Alongside them, 12 people who were their parliamentary assistants and four party collaborators will also be tried in this trial scheduled to be held for three half-days per week until November 27.
What role for Jordan Bardella? He is not referred to the criminal court, but his name will hang over the trial. In an investigative book by journalist Tristan Berteloot, The Winning Machine: Revelations about the RN marching towards the ElyséeJordan Bardella is accused of having also been part of the “diversion system” of European public funds, by fabricating false evidence.
“We are not afraid of this trial,” maintains Laurent Jacobelli. This trial is “a moment of truth”a moment for “defend the freedom of parliamentarians”argued Monday on franceinfo the spokesperson for the RN, Laurent Jacobelli. “We are not afraid of this trial, we go into it with our heads held high”he added.