On the last day of the trial for embezzlement of European funds against Marine Le Pen and twenty-four other members of the Rassemblement National, Le Pen’s lawyer harshly criticized the prosecution’s requests and asked for acquittal.
Rodolphe Bosselut dedicated three hours to his final speech, calling the prosecutor’s requests “a weapon of massive destruction of the democratic process.”
His comments, made as part of the acquittal request, focused on the prosecution’s proposal to exclude Marine Le Pen from running for office for the next five years, with immediate effect. This would prevent her from participating in the next presidential elections scheduled for 2027. The prosecution also seeks a two-year prison sentence.
His conviction would have “disproportionate legal consequences, both irreparable and definitive,” the lawyer added.
“What justifies the provisional application [di questa pena di ineleggibilità]?” asked the lawyer. “Recidivism? But what kind? The only potential recurrence would be if Madame Le Pen ran for president again. If this is the recidivism you are aiming for […]I suggest we leave it to the sovereign people, not to the justice system acting in their name.”
Since September 30, Le Pen and twenty-four other members of the Rassemblement National (formerly Front National) have been on trial accused of having stolen 4.5 million euros between 2004 and 2016, organizing a “system” that employed assistants of the European Parliament to work for the party in France.
“There has never been any prohibition for a parliamentary assistant to engage in political activities or to dedicate part of his time to his own party,” Bosselut argued several times, underlining that the European Parliament was aware of the ‘work’ carried out by these assistants.
“There was no intention to steal funds, but only to play politics,” he insisted.
“My aim is to convince the court that the parliamentary practices in the European Parliament from 2004 to 2016, which are criticized in this case, were not only common and harmless – shared by all European parties – but also free of any fraudulent intent, in what you consider acceptable,” he added.
On 13 November, the prosecution asked for a five-year prison sentence, including two years of actual imprisonment, a fine of 300,000 euros and, above all, a ban on running for public office for five years, with provisional application.
A day later, Le Pen called the prosecution’s demands “violent” and “excessive”. The leader of the far-right party went so far as to say that they were seeking her “political death”.
Sitting in the front row among the defendants, flanked by several leading RN figures, Le Pen remained silent throughout the hearing.
She later told reporters outside the chamber that she was now “100% back in the political fray” and threatened to step up her efforts to bring down the government led by Michel Barnier.
The final ruling on the case is expected on March 31, 2025.
(Laurent Geslin | Euractiv.fr)
Laws Who the original article
