The appeal trial of Marine Le Pen, leader of France’s far-right National Rally (RN), and 11 other defendants begins today in Paris.
The session, led by Judge Michèle Agi, is scheduled to start at 1:30 pm and will run until 11 February at the historic courthouse in the capital, with a verdict expected by summer.
On 31 March 2025, Le Pen was convicted by the Paris Criminal Court for misappropriation of public funds.
She received a four-year prison sentence, with two years served under electronic monitoring, a fine of €100,000, and five years of immediate disqualification from running for office.
The court found her guilty of creating a system between 2004 and 2016 to divert funds intended by the European Parliament to pay assistants for their duties in Brussels and Strasbourg.
Prosecutors argue that these assistants actually worked only for the far-right party, previously called the National Front and now the National Rally, and its leaders. The European Parliament is a civil party in the case.
The damages were assessed at €3.2 million, minus €1.1 million already repaid by some defendants during the earlier trial. Out of the 25 original defendants, 12 have decided not to appeal, including Le Pen’s sister, Yann Le Pen.
Among those returning to the dock are Perpignan’s mayor Louis Aliot, RN MP Julien Odoul, MEP Nicolas Bay, and Bruno Gollnisch.
Supported by her long-time lawyer Rodolphe Bosselut and new legal counsel Sandra Chirac-Kollarik, Le Pen is expected to focus more on arguing her lack of intent in committing the alleged offences, rather than outright denial, according to sources close to her.
A guilty verdict could still allow her to run in the 2027 presidential race if the ineligibility period imposed is less than two years and the court does not enforce electronic monitoring, which is seen as incompatible with campaigning.
Le Pen has stated the appeal court’s ruling alone will decide her political future, even as the Supreme Court could potentially weigh in before the presidential race if further legal action is pursued.
Since her conviction nine months ago, public opinion of Le Pen has worsened, and speculation has grown around a substitute candidacy by her protégé Jordan Bardella.
While she emphasised this autumn that she is "sure and certain" she will run for president if eligible, she acknowledged Bardella could win if she cannot.
