French far right goes on trial for allegedly embezzling European funds for party

The high-stakes trial opens in Paris on Monday and will last for two months.

Transcript

00:00A major trial has begun in France, with the far-right National Rally Party and its members

00:06accused of embezzling EU funds.

00:10The high-stakes trial involves 27 former and current party members, including former presidential

00:16candidate Marine Le Pen and her father, the party's co-founder Jean-Marie Le Pen.

00:24Those on trial are accused of misusing EU money designated for parliamentary assistance

00:29to pay staff working for the party.

00:33The charges range from embezzling funds to complicity or concealing the misuse of public

00:38money, and if convicted, the party members face up to 10 years in prison and fines of

00:44up to one million euros.

00:49They could also lose their civic rights, making them ineligible to run for elected office

00:54for up to five years.

00:56This is not the first time a political party has faced such charges in France.

01:27Earlier this year, former Justice Minister François Beyrou was on trial for similar

01:32reasons.

01:33While Beyrou was acquitted, several members of his party received suspended prison sentences

01:39and fines of tens of millions of euros.

01:56The trial opening today in Paris comes after Marine Le Pen's political party increased

02:19their number of MPs in France's National Assembly in the recent snap election.

02:24But it could also shape Marine Le Pen's political future.

02:27Recent polls have her as the top candidate among French voters, and the trial, which

02:31will last for two months, could determine whether or not she can run in the 2027 presidential

02:36election.

02:37This is Lauren Chadwick reporting for Euronews.