Le Pen and her allies first stood trial in 2024 on accusations that they swindled European taxpayers out of an estimated €4.5 million between 2004 and 2016 by hiring assistants who spent most of their time on domestic party politics rather than their official European Parliament duties.
Though the codefendants denied any wrongdoing and tried to frame the proceedings as a political witch hunt, the court was unconvinced in the face of the prosecution’s compelling case. Evidence included a text from one of the accused asking if he could be introduced to the MEP he was purportedly working for several months after his contract started, and the revelation that another assistant exchanged just one text message with the MEP they worked for over the course of their eight-month contract.
The 56-year-old former MEP was found guilty and handed a five-year ban on running for public office. The punishment effectively knocked her out of the 2027 race to replace term-limited Emmanuel Macron, which she was leading according to most polls.
Le Pen immediately appealed, and during fast-tracked legal proceedings earlier this year she conceded — after months of proclaiming her innocence — that she may have unwittingly broken the law. Her legal team then challenged the initial verdict on technical legal grounds and argued that the ban is disproportionate.
Despite the change in strategy, Le Pen’s prospects on Tuesday still look dim. She appeared to lose some of her fighting spirit during the appeal’s final days and said she would not mount a presidential bid if the ban is upheld or she is sentenced to wear an electronic ankle bracelet.
“It’s no longer up to me,” Le Pen said of her presidential aspirations in an interview with LCI television on Wednesday. “But I’ll continue to fight. I’ll continue to be an activist. And if I’m just an activist, I’ll just be an activist.”