Far-right leader Marine Le Pen and 11 others convicted in an embezzlement trial that shook French politics have lodged an appeal, a judicial source said on Friday, April 11. On March 31, 24 people were convicted by a Paris court, which found that the far-right Rassemblement National (RN) had fictitiously employed assistants on European Parliament expenses when they were in fact working for the cash-strapped party.
The verdict was a devastating blow for Le Pen, who, as well as being given a partly suspended jail term and a fine, was banned from taking part in elections for five years, which would scupper her ambition of standing for the presidency in 2027. But she was then boosted by an announcement from the Paris Court of Appeal that said it would examine her appeal to allow a decision to be reached in the summer of 2026, which means she could still stand if the verdict is reversed or amended.
Twelve of the accused, as well as the party itself, have appealed the verdict before a deadline of midnight Thursday for their court filing to be lodged, a judicial source told Agence France-Presse. This means that half of the accused have decided to accept their convictions without appealing. Others lodging an appeal included RN deputy party leader and Perpignan mayor Louis Aliot, the source added.
RN party leader Jordan Bardella, 29, who is expected to replace Le Pen as presidential candidate if she is unable to stand, was never under investigation in the case. Le Pen, who has always said she is innocent, has slammed the ruling as a "political decision" and vowed to press ahead with her 2027 presidential campaign, with polls showing her on course to win the first round.