PARIS, March 31. /TASS/. Head of the parliamentary faction of the National Rally Party Marine Le Pen has been sentenced to four years in prison and a five-year ban on running for office after being found guilty of embezzling EU funds.
TASS has assembled the main facts about the French politician's case.
The sentence
- Le Pen was sentenced to four years in prison and is barred from running for political office for five years.
- In accordance with the court decision, Le Pen will have to wear an electronic bracelet for two of the four years.
- She was also ordered to pay a fine of 100,000 euros.
- According to the BFMTV television channel, due to the immediate disenfranchisement, Le Pen will not be able to run in the French presidential election in 2027.
About the case
- The investigation into embezzlement began in 2014.
- The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) then demanded that Le Pen reimburse 339,000 euros.
- The politician was accused of paying the salaries of the head of her office Catherine Grisez and security guard Thierry Legier from the funds of the European Parliament, while they were employed by her party.
- According to the investigation, Le Pen allegedly orchestrated a financial scheme whereby EU funds were embezzled under the guise of paying non-existent assistants in the European Parliament.
- In addition to Le Pen, also found guilty were the mayor of Perpignan Louis Aliot and the former vice-chairman of the National Rally Bruno Gollnisch.
- The prosecutor's office called for giving Le Pen five years in prison and depriving her of her voting rights for the same period.
Le Pen's position
- Le Pen rejected the charges brought against her. During one of the court hearings, she accused the prosecutor of "attempting to destroy the party."
- The day before the verdict was announced, the newspaper La Tribune du Dimanche published a short comment by the politician, in which she expressed hope that it would not come to depriving her of the right to be elected and hold elective office.
Reaction in France
- The verdict is a hit not only against Le Pen, but also against French democracy as a whole, said Jordan Bardella, head of the National Rally party.
Reaction from Russia
- The Kremlin considers the situation around Le Pen's verdict to be the internal affair of France. But in general, it sees democracy decaying in Europe, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said answering a question from TASS.
- The verdict against the head of the parliamentary faction of the National Rally party shows the "agony of liberal democracy," Russia’s Foreign Ministry’s Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, told TASS.
- France is plunging into "stormy uncharted waters" and may face protests similar to those in Romania after presidential candidate Calin Georgescu was barred from running, former Austrian Foreign Minister and head of the G.O.R.K.I. center at St. Petersburg State University Karin Kneissl said.
- Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban also spoke out in support of Le Pen.
