The appeal trial in the case of fictitious employment of European parliamentary assistants of the National Front, now National Rally, has been held in Paris since January 13. Convicted at first instance, Marine Le Pen is compromising her eligibility for the 2027 presidential election. Summary of the fourth week of the hearing with the prosecution's submissions and the defense lawyers' pleadings.

Published on: 06/02/2026 - 18:29

In the final stretch of the appeal trial of the European parliamentary assistants of the National Front (FN), which is being held from January 13 to February 12, the prosecution has formulated its requisitions against Marine Le Pen, the National Rally and ten other defendants including Julien Odoul, Nicolas Bay, Bruno Gollnisch and Louis Aliot. The defense now has the floor.

Justice accuses them of having paid between 2004 and 2016, with money from the European Parliament, employees of the party, which was then experiencing financial difficulties due to poor electoral results.

At first instance, on March 31, 2025, the Paris Criminal Court declared the leader of the French far-right guilty and sentenced her to four years in prison, two of which were closed, a fine of 100,000 euros and five years of ineligibility with immediate execution for embezzlement of public funds. With this appeal, Marine Le Pen stakes her candidacy for the 2027 presidential election.

Here is what to remember from this fourth week of hearing.

See alsoWho is Marine Le Pen or Jordan Bardella for the 2027 presidential election?

Tuesday February 3: five years of ineligibility required on appeal against Marine Le Pen

At the end of their indictment lasting almost six hours, the two attorneys general requested confirmation of the five-year sentence of ineligibility pronounced at first instance against Marine Le Pen, which would prevent her from being a candidate for the Élysée in 2027.

They also requested a four-year prison sentence, including three years suspended, i.e. a slightly reduced sentence, from two years to one year, adjustable under an electronic bracelet, compared to the sentence handed down in March at first instance.

“Marine Le Pen was the instigator, following her father, of a system which allowed the party to embezzle 1.4 million euros,” declared Advocate General Stéphane Madoz-Blanchet at the conclusion of the indictment, denouncing a “facade questioning” on her part.

The public prosecutor's office asked the court not to combine the ineligibility with provisional execution, that is to say, with immediate application. But this question will in any case be irrelevant because the Court of Cassation, if contacted by Marine Le Pen in the event of conviction, should render its decision before the presidential election.

To (re)readThe essence of Marine Le Pen's appeal trial: "We can be reproached"

The representatives of the prosecution also called for the conviction of the eleven other defendants, including the RN as a legal entity.

- The National Rally: the prosecution requests that its sentence of two million euros fine be maintained, including one million euros suspended.

- Louis Aliot: 18 months of fully suspended imprisonment are requested for the elected official, although he had received a fixed part of six months at first instance, as well as confirmation of the three years of ineligibility and a fine of 8,000 euros.

- Bruno Gollnisch: the attorneys general are requesting a three-year suspended prison sentence for him, a fine of 50,000 euros and three years of ineligibility.

- Wallerand de Saint-Just: the prosecution requires confirmation of his sentence of three years in prison, two of which are suspended, a fine of 50,000 euros and three years of ineligibility.

- Nicolas Bay: 18 months suspended sentence, 8,000 euros fine and three years of ineligibility were requested.

- Timothée Houssin: the public prosecutor's office requests a six-month suspended sentence and one year of ineligibility against him.

- Julien Odoul: the prosecution requests eight months suspended prison sentence and one year of ineligibility.

- Fernand Le Rachinel: the attorneys general recommend the confirmation of his two-year suspended prison sentence, a 15,000 euro fine and three years of ineligibility.

- Nicolas Crochet: requisitions for three years' imprisonment, two of which were suspended, a fine of 100,000 euros and a four-year ban on working as a third-party payer with provisional execution.

- Catherine Griset: twelve months suspended and two years of ineligibility requested.

- Guillaume L'Huillier: twelve months suspended sentence and two years of ineligibility are required.

To display this YouTube content, it is necessary to authorize audience measurement and advertising cookies.

An extension in your browser appears to be blocking the loading of the video player. To be able to watch this content, you must disable or uninstall it.

Wednesday February 4: start of arguments by defense lawyers

After the requisitions the day before, the defense lawyers began their pleadings on Wednesday.

"He is someone who walks on trust. The written word does not matter to him: it is paperwork", declared Mr. Robert Apéry, lawyer for former MEP Fernand Le Rachinel, describing him as a business leader who has built a prosperous empire in the printing, hotel, transport, construction and agri-food industries.

From now on, he would be a peaceful octogenarian who has “problems with concentration and memory”. And who, perhaps, has not bothered enough about stewardship.

Three weeks earlier, the person concerned had explained in court that "people were working, but not in the right boxes" and that "Jean-Marie Le Pen decided everything".

To (re)readThe essence of Marine Le Pen's appeal trial: "It's curious this mention 'paid differently'"

All the same, for his lawyer, the requests for a two-year suspended prison sentence and a fine of 15,000 euros remain no less exaggerated. And if at least the judges only sentenced him to one year in prison, "that would allow him to keep his decoration" of the National Order of Merit, "which would not be indecent at his age."

At the end of the morning, Bruno Gollnisch's lawyer, Me Louis Balling, for his part insisted on facts which he considers largely "prescribed", and which according to him cannot be judged. The arguments are not really new: they had already been raised, without success, at first instance. In their indictment, the two advocates general took care to defuse them in advance, supported by case law.

Arguing for Julien Odoul, Me Tristan Simon was interested in article 432-15 of the Penal Code, which punishes embezzlement, maintaining that it in no way concerns European funds.

The last three days of pleadings will continue on Monday February 9, with the defense of Marine Le Pen. The decision of the court of appeal, which is not required to follow the requisitions, must be known by the summer.

With AFP

Keywords associated with the article

The content you are trying to access does not exist or is no longer available.