France's Le Pen faces embezzlement charges

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen and other National Rally officials went on trial on Monday in Paris, facing charges of embezzling millions of euros in European Union funds to pay for employees working for the party.

The case could impact the political future of France's three-time presidential candidate Le Pen, who has long sought to rebrand herself as a mainstream politician. For 56-year-old Le Pen, a conviction could derail her 2027 presidential aspirations.

A total 27 defendants include nine former members of the European Parliament, with Le Pen and the National Rally, or RN, party's vice-president Louis Aliot among them, as well as Julien Odoul, the party's spokesperson, who is one of nine former parliamentary assistants accused, and other RN employees.

The trial, which commences nearly 10 years after the initial probe began, offers Le Pen a chance to exonerate herself from allegations she has consistently refuted.

The legal proceeding unfolds as she continues her efforts to refine the party's public persona, aiming to present the RN, formerly called the National Front, as a credible contender for governmental leadership.

The alleged fraudulent scheme, first brought to light in 2015, involves the misuse of European Parliament funds by the RN party from 2004 to 2016.

The trial aims to establish whether the party used "European money to finance a job that was not used for European purposes, but only for partisan or national purposes", Christophe Chabrot, a senior lecturer in public law at the Lumiere University Lyon 2, told Euronews.

The accusations are supported by evidence suggesting many of the employees could not describe their parliamentary duties, had never met their supposed MEP employers, or had not even visited the European Parliament, reported Agence France-Presse.

The scope of the alleged fraud extends to various roles within the party, including Le Pen's personal staff. Notably, a bodyguard, a secretary, Le Pen's chief of staff, and a graphic designer are all implicated in the purportedly fraudulent employment arrangements.

EU lawmakers receive allocated funds for expenses, including the employment of assistants, but these resources are strictly intended for parliamentary work and not for financing party-related activities.

The legal proceedings against Le Pen are twofold: she faces accusations both in her capacity as the party's leader and as a former EU legislator who allegedly misused funds by hiring phantom employees.

The charges carry severe penalties, including hefty fines, lengthy imprisonment, and a decade-long ban from public office. RN has for years dismissed the investigation as politically motivated persecution, claiming it is a political abuse of the justice system.