PARIS (AP) 鈥� French far-right leader Marine Le Pen acknowledged 鈥渁 mistake鈥� on Wednesday at an appeals trial hearing in Paris that could , but firmly denied accusations she was at the center of a fraudulent system to siphon off European Union funds.
Le Pen, 57, is seeking to overturn a March 2025 ruling that found her guilty of misusing EU Parliament funds in the hiring of aides from 2004 to 2016.
She acknowledged some people paid as EU parliamentary aides performed work for her party, then known as the National Front, during that period.
鈥淭he mistake lies here: there were certainly some aides, on a case-by-case basis, who must have worked either marginally, more substantially, or entirely 鈥� for the benefit of the party. And voil脿,鈥� Le Pen told the three-judge panel.
The five-week trial that could significantly impact France鈥檚 political landscape. The appeals court is expected to issue its ruling before the summer.
Last March, Le Pen was given a , two years of house arrest with an electronic bracelet and a further two-year suspended sentence for having violated the 27-nation bloc鈥檚 regulations.
A Paris court ruled that she was at the heart of 鈥渁 fraudulent system鈥� that her party used to siphon off EU Parliament funds worth 2.9 million euros ($3.4 million). The ruling described the embezzlement as 鈥渁 democratic bypass鈥� unfair to competitors.
If she鈥檚 ruled able to run, Le Pen is expected to be among the top contenders in the 2027 presidential election. If she鈥檚 ineligible, she has designated her 30-year-old prot茅g茅, Jordan Bardella, as her successor in the presidential bid.
During intense questioning on Wednesday, Le Pen firmly denied the existence of 鈥渁 system鈥� meant to hire party workers with EU funds. Calm and steady, she insisted her party never committed any illegal move on purpose.
鈥淚 wouldn’t say we did everything perfectly. Some criticism can be made about us,鈥� Le Pen said. 鈥淏ut we acted in complete good faith.鈥�
Quizzed about the decision-making process for each hiring, Le Pen acknowledged 鈥渁mbiguity鈥� in some aides鈥� assignment. Her personal assistant, who had a contract as EU parliamentary aide, 鈥渕ay have bought some flight tickets for me as president of the party, I admit it, yes,鈥� she said.
The chief judge, Mich猫le Agi, noted that as an MEP from 2004 and president of her party from 2011, Le Pen had approved those hirings.
鈥淵ou are a lawyer, you know the law 鈥� inevitably, a signature, a contract are notions that have a meaning for you,鈥� Agi told Le Pen.
Le Pen instead blamed European parliament for at the time not tell her party that the way it was hiring people was potentially against any rules.
Asked about her bodyguard, she said she believed the European parliament accepted he had a contract as an aide because his case was 鈥渁 bit special.鈥�
鈥淭here are not many MEPs who need to be protected鈥� and one can also think the European parliament takes that exceptional situation into account. I think we did not committed any irregularities,” she said.
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