In March, Marine Le Pen and about twenty other party representatives were sentenced by a French court to pay back just over 36 million kronor to the EU Parliament. The court considered that the party had cheated its way to the money by hiring fictitious assistants to parliamentarians.
Marine Le Pen was sentenced to prison and an immediate ban on running in political elections for the next five years, which stops her from standing in the presidential election 2027. Le Pen has appealed the verdict.
The party has, however, chosen to pay back the money to the EU Parliament. The next installment will be made in October, according to BFMTV. According to a source that the French media company has spoken to, one wants to "put oneself in a good position before the court” and ”show that the party does not intend to deviate from court decisions as preparation for the appeal."
Le Pen has been the main pre-favourite ahead of the 2027 election and has seen her best chance so far to win the election, since Emmanuel Macron must then step down after his two terms of office.
