The total sum embezzled was estimated by Brussels at €4,591,332.10. And the far-right Rassemblement National (RN) party has been ordered to pay up. Indeed, besides the bans on running for elections, the Paris court also ruled that the restitution of damages owed to the European Parliament be applied immediately. Of the total sum, €1,156,470.79 had already been recouped by the EU institution since the trial began.

On Tuesday, the RN held its weekly group meeting at the Assemblée, which, while usually held behind closed doors, was, on this occasion, broadcast live on 24-hour news channels. During the meeting, Marine Le Pen did not miss the opportunity to exploit this financial situation. She attacked the "system," which she accused of having rolled out "the nuclear bomb" in banning her from running in the 2027 presidential election, and claimed that her party was "a victim of a financial sentence that endangers its future."

"It's not just about eliminating the presidential election candidate, if they can kill the party at the same time," she insisted. This narrative is reminiscent of those Le Pen used in every presidential election campaign, during which her difficulties obtaining bank loans have served as a pretext for denouncing a "banking fatwa."

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