EU Court upholds €300,000 repayment order against Le Pen heirs in misused funds case
The General Court of the European Union has dismissed an appeal by the heirs of late French far-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen, upholding a European Parliament decision to reclaim more than €300,000 in misused parliamentary allowances.
The court ruled on Wednesday that the European Parliament followed proper procedures in its investigation, rejecting claims that the recovery order violated legal certainty or Le Pen’s right to a fair trial, News.Az reports, citing Politico.
Jean-Marie Le Pen, founder of the National Front (now National Rally), was accused of using parliamentary funds intended for official work to cover personal expenses. He challenged the order in 2024, but after his death in January 2025 at the age of 96, his daughters — Marine Le Pen, Yann Maréchal, and Marie-Caroline Olivier — continued the case.
The judges noted that Le Pen was informed of the alleged irregularities in January 2024 and given two months to respond. The European Parliament’s Secretary-General later issued a detailed recovery decision, incorporating written submissions from Le Pen’s family.
The General Court rejected arguments that Le Pen lacked a fair trial, noting that the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) had given him the chance to comment during its investigation and the subsequent administrative process.
Marine Le Pen, who repaid €330,000 to the Parliament in 2023, faces similar legal troubles in France. Earlier this year, a French court convicted her of embezzling EU funds by paying personal staff with parliamentary allowances, imposing a five-year ban from holding public office. She has appealed the verdict and denies any wrongdoing.
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