Marine Le Pen

Marine Le Pen, leader of the National Rally (RN), has faced several legal controversies during her career. The primary case is the European Parliament assistants affair. Investigated starting in 2015, it involved allegations that EU funds were embezzled between 2004 and 2016 to pay for domestic party staff. In March 2025, a Paris court convicted Le Pen of embezzlement, initially sentencing her to a five-year ban from public office, four years in prison (two suspended, two under home detention with an electronic tag), and a 100,000-euro fine. Following an appeal, a July 2026 ruling reduced her ineligibility to 15 months (deemed already served) and her prison sentence to three years (two suspended, one under home detention). While she remains convicted of embezzlement, this ruling cleared her to run in the 2027 presidential election. She is currently appealing this to the Court of Cassation. Regarding other matters: In 2015, Le Pen was acquitted of charges related to inciting racial hatred for comparing Muslim street prayers to the Nazi occupation of France. In June 2024, the Court of Cassation upheld a conviction against the RN related to the "kits de campagne" affair, involving fraudulent invoicing during the 2012 presidential campaign. Additionally, a preliminary investigation remains open as of 2026 concerning approximately 316,000 euros in allegedly irregular expenses during her 2022 presidential campaign.