A French court found Marine Le Pen and her National Rally party guilty of misappropriating €3 million in EU funds intended for parliamentary assistants, which they allegedly used to pay party staff from 2004 to 2016. The ruling imposes a potential five-year ban from running for office, threatening Le Pen's candidacy for the 2027 presidential elections. Le Pen, who denies wrongdoing, claims the trial reflects political motivations against her movement, voicing concerns about the implications for her supporters and the judicial system's influence in political matters.
"There are 11 million people who voted for the movement I represent," said Le Pen, emphasizing the potential impact of a guilty verdict on her supporters.
Le Pen's party criticized the trial as a judicial overreach, equating it to political attacks faced by leaders like US President Donald Trump.
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