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2025-03-31 Europe
Le Pen’s political career in jeopardy as verdict looms for French far-right party
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Posted by trailing wife 2025-03-31 2025-03-31 01:32|| || Front Page|| [11148 views ]  Top

#1 In this moment, found guilty as charged (and ineligible)
Posted by European Conservative 2025-03-31 05:59||   2025-03-31 05:59|| Front Page Top

#2 
The nine MEPs and twelve assistants found guilty had signed 'fictitious contracts' and there was indeed a 'system' within the party, said the president of the court, Bénédicte de Perthuis. “It has been established that all these people were in fact working for the party, that their MP had not given them any tasks”, that they ‘passed from one MP to another’, she explained.

“It was not a question of pooling the work of the assistants but rather of pooling the MPs' budgets,” she continued. ‘Let's be clear: no one is on trial for having been involved in politics, that's not the issue. The question was whether or not the contracts were fulfilled,’ said the magistrate.
Posted by European Conservative 2025-03-31 06:02||   2025-03-31 06:02|| Front Page Top

#3 Just in: She is banned from standing for election with immediate effect.
Posted by European Conservative 2025-03-31 06:11||   2025-03-31 06:11|| Front Page Top

#4 The next presidential elections in France are in April 2027. So if the ban is longer than 2 years (not yet pronounced), she can't run.
Posted by European Conservative 2025-03-31 06:15||   2025-03-31 06:15|| Front Page Top

#5 The experts weigh in:

The Kremlin reacts to the verdict, deploring a “violation of democratic standards”.

LOL
Posted by European Conservative 2025-03-31 06:34||   2025-03-31 06:34|| Front Page Top

#6 The ban is 5 years. Adieu les élections.
Posted by European Conservative 2025-03-31 06:58||   2025-03-31 06:58|| Front Page Top

#7 Can't beat her at the ballot box, so take her out in the courts. Where have we heard this before? Before you know it Germans will ban AfD.
Posted by The Walking Unvaxed 2025-03-31 07:59||   2025-03-31 07:59|| Front Page Top

#8 ^Just be glad Alvin Bragg didn't manage the same thing in US.
Posted by Grom the Affective 2025-03-31 08:02||   2025-03-31 08:02|| Front Page Top

#9 The embezzlement cases seem very clear-cut.
She made EU Parliament (i.e. taxpayers) pay for EU Parliament assistants who actually worked for the party. That's illegal.
Posted by European Conservative 2025-03-31 09:07||   2025-03-31 09:07|| Front Page Top

#10 EC, I suggest you broaden the horizon of your reading material. Try this...


https://thenationalpulse.com/2025/03/31/french-populist-leader-marine-le-pen-sentenced-to-jail-banned-from-politics-in-heinous-lawfare-case/
Posted by The Walking Unvaxed 2025-03-31 09:34||   2025-03-31 09:34|| Front Page Top

#11 She made EU Parliament (i.e. taxpayers) pay for EU Parliament assistants who actually worked for the party.

So you are saying she is a Democrat.
Posted by SteveS 2025-03-31 09:39||   2025-03-31 09:39|| Front Page Top

#12 Once again the US shows the way - In 2020 they go after Trump; now Turkey, Romania, Ireland and France follow the playbook.
Posted by Mercutio 2025-03-31 09:40||   2025-03-31 09:40|| Front Page Top

#13 I followed this case closely, also from French sources.

The ban on Le Pen from holding office is based on a law passed in 2016 in the wake of a corruption scandal (not concerning Le Pen's party). According to this law, any elected representative convicted of embezzling public funds is generally banned from the next elections.

Le Pen didn't vote against this law btw. She clearly broke it.
Posted by European Conservative 2025-03-31 09:40||   2025-03-31 09:40|| Front Page Top

#14 They’ve been going after the LePens for years — anything to keep them out of power. The old man had some ugly beliefs, but the younger generation is different, as far as I can tell. Ditto for Geert Wilders in the Netherlands And Bibi, of course.

America was behind the curve on using lawfare to try to box out the hated populist outsider, but they caught up quickly.
Posted by trailing wife 2025-03-31 09:46||   2025-03-31 09:46|| Front Page Top

#15 "Give me the man and I will give you the case against him"[1] (Polish: Dajcie mi człowieka, a paragraf się znajdzie; translated to English more literally as "give me the man; there'll be a paragraph[a] for him",[2] Russian: Был бы человек, а статья найдется ("If there is a person, there will be an article [in the criminal code]"), also interpreted as "give me the man, and I will find the crime",[3] or "show me the man and I'll show you the crime"[4]) is a saying that was popularized in the Soviet Union and in Poland in the period of the People's Republic of Poland, attributed to the Stalinist-era Soviet jurist Andrey Vyshinsky,[2][5]: 200 [6] or the Soviet secret police chief Lavrentiy Beria.[3][4] It refers to the miscarriage of justice in the form of the abuse of power by the jurists, who could find any defendant guilty of "something", if they so desired. Wiki
Posted by The Walking Unvaxed 2025-03-31 09:48||   2025-03-31 09:48|| Front Page Top

#16 It wasn't about beliefs but about laws that were broken. She used taxpayer money of the EU parliament by setting up fake contracts in order to pay people who worked for her and the party.

That's simply illegal and she and the other party members knew that.
Posted by European Conservative 2025-03-31 09:51||   2025-03-31 09:51|| Front Page Top

#17 It wasn't about beliefs but about laws that were broken

Uh huh. Pull the other one.
Posted by Frank G 2025-03-31 09:59||   2025-03-31 09:59|| Front Page Top

#18 No. You can't hire a person with public funds and then make him work for your personal gain.

I thought that was clear enough.

I've been a member of the regional Parliament, and I knew that I couldn't do that. The law - also in Germany - is very clear on that.
Posted by European Conservative 2025-03-31 10:06||   2025-03-31 10:06|| Front Page Top

#19 Marine Le Pen and her 20 accomplices are not victims, they are guilty of having provided fictitious jobs paid for by the European taxpayers to Marine Le Pen's sister, sister-in-law, driver and companion.

I'm surprised that with all that DOGE stuff you'll suddenly find this ok.
Posted by European Conservative 2025-03-31 10:09||   2025-03-31 10:09|| Front Page Top

#20 I'm surprised that with all that DOGE stuff you'll suddenly find this ok.

Two words: "selective" and "persecution".
Posted by Grom the Affective 2025-03-31 10:17||   2025-03-31 10:17|| Front Page Top

#21 Just don't break the law. In this case, this is quite easy to do. Of course politicians will always complain about "persecution" when they're held accountable. It's almost too funny that Putin and Orban would come to defend her. Those guys know a thing or two about persecution.
Posted by European Conservative 2025-03-31 10:40||   2025-03-31 10:40|| Front Page Top

#22 Pierre Lellouche, a lawyer and former Deputy of the French National Assembly, appeared on CNEWS to point out that the current prime minister, François Bayrou, faced the same charge and suffered no consequences.

“Then, last but not least, there is the case of (François) Bayrou, the current prime minister, who has been prosecuted for exactly the same thing, i.e., for abuses of party funding declared as parliamentary assistants in Europe, at the EU parliament. Bayrou emerged from this affair without being in the least concerned. In fact, the public prosecutor’s office has once again referred the matter to the courts, but even so, we’re dealing with a double standard here. It’s a bit surprising.”
Posted by Frank G 2025-03-31 10:58||   2025-03-31 10:58|| Front Page Top

#23 Judge de Perthuis set the tone immediately when she stated that there was no doubt as to the systemic nature of the embezzlement. All the defendants were guilty of embezzling public funds. The court had only examined the question of whether the employment contracts of the parliamentary staff had been in line with the work performed for the European Parliament. This was not the case. Rather, Le Pen had expanded a system of cross-financing of the party through sham employment contracts that had been introduced by her father. The Front National and later the Rassemblement National had enriched itself at the expense of the EU Parliament and had also undermined the rules of democracy. The RN was thus financially favored over other parties.

The court found it particularly serious that Le Pen and her co-defendants showed no remorse. During the criminal proceedings in the fall, the right-wing populist had repeatedly claimed that her actions were legitimate and that she could not see any wrongdoing. On Monday, Judge de Perthuis read from an exchange of correspondence between the party's treasurer, Wallerand de Saint-Just, and MEP Jean-Luc Schaffhauser. “Marine is asking us to sign fictitious employment contracts. The MEPs are criminally liable for this,” Schaffhauser warned. He expects the party's financial conduct to be scrutinized and wants to sound the alarm. The treasurer replied, ”I think Marine knows all about it.”
Posted by European Conservative 2025-03-31 10:59||   2025-03-31 10:59|| Front Page Top

#24 In the case of Bayrou (who was acquitted) the Paris court found that nothing in the case file proved that the president of MoDem had given instructions to MEPs to hire parliamentary assistants or that he was aware of the non-execution of the contracts of the parliamentary assistants in question.
Posted by European Conservative 2025-03-31 11:08||   2025-03-31 11:08|| Front Page Top

#25 Expelled DC councilmember teases run for old seat despite federal bribery charge
Posted by Skidmark 2025-03-31 11:17||   2025-03-31 11:17|| Front Page Top

#26 Won't matter, I think France will be fighting a massive internal civil war against their Muslim colonizers. Which I expect them to lose.
Posted by Silentbrick 2025-03-31 11:24||   2025-03-31 11:24|| Front Page Top

#27 Article 17. If the French president so desired, they could issue a pardon allowing her to run. I'm not gonna hold my breath but it'd potentially provide an alternative to civil disruption. They could pardon her, let her run, then adjust the vote so she 'almost' makes it again . . .
Posted by Clem+Elmish4239 2025-03-31 11:31||   2025-03-31 11:31|| Front Page Top

#28 She can appeal. And if the appellate court reverses the verdict she can still run.
Posted by European Conservative 2025-03-31 11:49||   2025-03-31 11:49|| Front Page Top

#29 In western liberal democracies jailing or shooting the opposition candidate is quickly becoming the preferred election strategy
8:15 AM · Mar 31, 2025
Auron MacIntyre

Marine Le Pen in France, Bolsonaro in Brazil, Imran Khan in Pakistan, Matteo Salvini in Italy, Donald Trump in America, Calin Georgescu in Romania

The criminal prosecution of every populist challenger is a dagger in the heart of the credibility of democracy.
Mike Benz
Posted by The Walking Unvaxed 2025-03-31 11:56||   2025-03-31 11:56|| Front Page Top

#30 EC: 15 out of 28 29 Comments are by you. Do you have an emotional attachment or feel overly defensive?
Posted by Frank G 2025-03-31 12:01||   2025-03-31 12:01|| Front Page Top

#31 I thought you would appreciate breaking reports. And this is a European topic.

But ok, I'll disappear for a while.
Posted by European Conservative 2025-03-31 12:17||   2025-03-31 12:17|| Front Page Top

#32 I personally find it useful to have an in-country perspective on events. More data points!

From a 1,000 foot view, this looks like yet another lawfare operation on a political opponent. First, the rising populist candidate is branded as "far-right" and someone to be shunned by all good people. When that does not work, a crime is found or created. Said crime is then inflated to remove the target from the playing field. It is all nice and legal. And if that does not work, there is an "accident" As mentioned in #29, this is not the first time we have seen this play. It is not a good look.

tl;dr: You want more Trump? Keep this up and you will get a Trump of your own.
Posted by SteveS 2025-03-31 13:07||   2025-03-31 13:07|| Front Page Top

#33 The Soviet had laws, lots of laws. And the Soviets had courts too. Just because a law is a law does not make the law sacrosanct. And the problem with these societies when everything is illegal and prohibited is the unequal application of law.
Posted by mossomo 2025-03-31 13:07||   2025-03-31 13:07|| Front Page Top

#34 It’s called gaslighting…. provocation to create a stronger reaction!
The filthy chosen cult of covert, malignant narcissists already used that technique 100 years ago, the excesses of their Bolsheviks created Fascism and Nazism in reaction, then Europe was divided, and WWII followed…
It seems obvious that’s their plan all over again.
Posted by Paul Mantise 2025-03-31 14:11||   2025-03-31 14:11|| Front Page Top

#35 European Conservative: I appreciate your input. I think the resistance you are seeing is that based on how we perceive the US system using lawfare to manipulate elections, we suspect the same in France. That is, we are not confident that LePen actually committed the crimes - they may not have occurred or they may have been manufactured by opposition.
Posted by Glenmore 2025-03-31 14:55||   2025-03-31 14:55|| Front Page Top

#36 Asking as a serious question: Is Code Napoleon still in effect, that is, once charged, is it your burden to prove your innocence?
Posted by Mercutio 2025-03-31 14:55||   2025-03-31 14:55|| Front Page Top

#37 Now do the other sides.
Posted by Procopius2k 2025-03-31 15:44||   2025-03-31 15:44|| Front Page Top

#38 "For my friends, everything. For my enemies: the law."
Posted by Secret Master  2025-03-31 15:51||   2025-03-31 15:51|| Front Page Top

#39 @Mercutio
No, of course not. Presumption of innocence ("présomption d'innocence"), and the judge must be convinced of guilt beyond any reasonable doubt ("hors de tout doute raisonnable").

Prosecution must prove the defendant is guilty. One exception: Defendants who live with prostitutes, or with drug traffickers, are presumed to be living off the proceeds of illegal activity unless they can prove the contrary.
Posted by European Conservative 2025-03-31 16:32||   2025-03-31 16:32|| Front Page Top

#40 @Glenmore
"they may not have occurred or they may have been manufactured by opposition."

They did occur. This has been proven beyond any reasonable doubt. Btw I'm not really happy about the ban. The RN will use it to play the victim card, and they have two years to build up a successor.

I would have preferred a verdict without the immediate ban.
Posted by European Conservative 2025-03-31 16:50||   2025-03-31 16:50|| Front Page Top

#41 EC: - as a Euro-Ignorant Gringo, I had to ask why this was so important to defend. I suspect you obviously know how badly this correlates in our eyes to the Democrats lawfare against Trump. It appears that this is not equally enforced across the EU Elites
Posted by Frank G 2025-03-31 17:57||   2025-03-31 17:57|| Front Page Top

#42 FrankG
These practices have been going on for a long time and that's why the French parliament passed a law against it. It was Marine Le Pen who attacked politicians of other parties for this very reason, saying that her party was the only one that didn't do such dirty things. "Heads up, clean hands" was the slogan, and she voted for this law.

I say: Where there is a trough, pigs will find it.

Now that she (and 20 other party members) have been caught, she is crying foul.

By the way, this is completely different from NY lawfare. I found the 34 felony counts for a (maybe) bookkeeping error completely bogus.
Posted by European Conservative 2025-03-31 18:32||   2025-03-31 18:32|| Front Page Top

#43 Thank you
Posted by Frank G 2025-03-31 18:57||   2025-03-31 18:57|| Front Page Top

#44 Rantburg University for the win! :-) Thank you all for this edifying discussion.

My question: did LePen, et al do what too many French politicians do, or is their behavior uniquely illegal? Because if everybody does it (meaning many rather than most), then the prosecution is persecution. If uniquely illegal, then they deserve what they got, beyond petard-hoisting.

Either way, though, this kind of thing does tend to galvanize those on the fence to get involved, and those who were only watching to get out and vote. Look what happened to the Republicans since 2020.
Posted by trailing wife 2025-03-31 23:38||   2025-03-31 23:38|| Front Page Top

23:47 Lord Garth
23:38 trailing wife
23:25 trailing wife
23:05 badanov
22:47 Crusader
20:41 swksvolFF
20:16 swksvolFF
20:02 swksvolFF
19:59 Difar Dave
19:42 Super Hose
19:37 Woodrow
18:57 Frank G
18:32 European Conservative
18:02 Frank G
17:59 Frank G
17:57 Frank G
17:40 DooDahMan
16:50 European Conservative
16:32 European Conservative
16:21 Clem+Elmish4239
15:51 Secret Master
15:44 Procopius2k
15:13 Skidmark
14:55 Mercutio









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