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7mo ago

Prosecutors Seek to Strike Contracts in Le Pen Appeal, Potentially Narrowing Case

Prosecutors want several assistant contracts dropped, potentially narrowing the case against her.

En quelques phrases, Marine Le Pen a posé les bases de ce qui sera sa défense de la dernière chance devant la cour d’appel.
French far-right leader and member of parliament Marine Le Pen, President of the French far-right National Rally (Rassemblement National - RN) party parliamentary group, and member of parliament Jean-Philippe Tanguy attend a debate following French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu's first general policy speech in front of the parliament and the new government at the National Assembly in Paris, France, October 14, 2025. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo
Jordan Bardella, president of the French far-right National Rally (Rassemblement National - RN) political party, and French far-right leader and member of parliament Marine Le Pen talk to journalists as they leave after a meeting with the French Prime Minister as part of a series of consultations with political parties, a week before a confidence vote he is seeking from the National Assembly on the budget issue, at the Hotel Matignon in Paris, France, September 2, 2025. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File Photo

Overview

  • The Paris appeal opened Jan. 13 and is scheduled through about Feb. 12, with a ruling expected before the summer.
  • The parquet général told the court the first-instance tribunal had overreached by relying on an unsigned annex and asked to exclude certain assistant contracts; judges are due to rule on the request Thursday morning.
  • Marine Le Pen signaled a softer defense, saying that if an offense occurred she did not intend it, while faulting the European Parliament for insufficient oversight.
  • Her eligibility for the 2027 presidential race hinges on the outcome, with options ranging from acquittal to reduced penalties that could lift or shorten her five-year ineligibility.
  • In March 2025 she was convicted of misappropriating EU funds and sentenced to four years in prison (two firm), a €100,000 fine, and an immediate five-year ban, a decision that has boosted Jordan Bardella’s standing as a potential fallback candidate.