“I have nothing to hide in this matter, which seems to be used mainly to generate some media buzz. It’s odd, and the timing certainly raises questions,” said French National Rally leader Jordan Bardella last week.
As his longtime colleague Marine Le Pen faces an appeal trial over accusations of embezzlement of EU funds, Bardella, RN President, admitted he was under investigation as well.
Both are now at the mercy of judges ahead of presidential elections that either could win.
Le Pen’s appeal trial opened in Paris on January 13, and the stakes are high: A conviction would end her candidacy in the 2027 election.
At a press conference on January 17, kicking off the RN’s electoral campaign in Marseille, Le Pen projected confidence.
“When one files an appeal, by definition one is optimistic,” she said, standing alongside RN MP Franck Allisio, candidate for mayor of Marseille.
“I want to maintain that optimism and the conviction that the court will hear the arguments the tribunal did not hear,” she said.
On January 12, a day before Le Pen’s appeal trial opened, the head of the National Financial Prosecutor’s Office Jean-François Bohnert confirmed to the media that prosecutors are examining Bardella’s expenses in the European Parliament.
The same day, Bardella questioned the timing of the announcement and defended Le Pen in the name of democracy.
“It would be deeply worrying for democracy if the justice system were to deprive the French people of a candidate in the presidential election who has already qualified twice for the second round and is now considered the undisputed favourite in the race,” he said.
The legal troubles targeting RN leadership come as public support for the party remains high.
A survey yesterday found 35 per cent of respondents satisfied with the prospect of Bardella as president, closely followed by Le Pen at 33 per cent, despite her ongoing appeal trial.
On March 31, 2025, the Paris Criminal Court found Le Pen guilty and sentenced her to four years in prison, two of which are to be served, a €100,000 fine, and five years of ineligibility with immediate effect.
Her appeal trial is scheduled to end on February 12.
