France’s far-right nationalist icon Marine Le Pen denied responsibility on Tuesday in her appeal trial over alleged misuse of European Union funds, which may bar her from standing in next year’s presidential election.
The appeal in Paris centres on the allegation of embezzlement of funds. According to the conviction, between 2004 and 2016, Le Pen’s National Rally party received money for European Parliamentary assistants who at least in part worked for the wider party.
She told the court on Tuesday that several lawmakers from her party had shared assistants in the European Parliament, adding that the parliament had not queried this for years and she had not thought it could cause problems.
In the first trial last March, the court held that the assistants were passed from one lawmaker to the next under a system set up by the party. In reality, they had worked for the party in a wider remit than just as European Parliament assistants.
The court had banned Le Pan from standing in elections for five years.
If the court of appeal confirms the sanction, Le Pen will not be able to make another bid for the Élysée Palace having lost to Emmanuel Macron in the previous two presidential elections. He is ineligible to stand again in 2027.
If Le Pen’s conviction is upheld, National Rally leader Jordan Bardella, 30, is expected to stand.
Le Pen is also challenging her sentence of two years detention with an electronic tag, with two years suspended.
Alongside her, 11 other defendants and her party are before the court of appeal.