In 2024, ‘democracy’ blurs as prosecutors target populists, erasing lines between autocracy and democracy.”
French prosecutors have opened an investigation into the campaign financing of far-right leader Marine Le Pen’s presidential bid in 2022. The probe follows a preliminary inquiry and focuses on suspicions of embezzlement, forgery, fraud, and a candidate accepting a loan during an election campaign. Le Pen, who secured 41% of the vote in the second round of the 2022 presidential election, lost to incumbent President Emmanuel Macron. Additionally, she is set to go on trial in September, along with 24 others, over alleged misuse of EU funds. The investigation will now be passed to a judge, and it stems from a report by an independent committee scrutinizing campaign spending. Le Pen’s National Rally party has faced other legal issues, including fines for misuse of company assets.
🚨🇫🇷FRENCH PROSECUTORS LAUNCH PROBE INTO LE PEN
The investigation centers around alleged illegal financing of her presidential bid in 2022.
Prosecutors claim Le Pen’s National Rally party stole taxpayer-generated funds from the European Parliament to help finance her campaign.… pic.twitter.com/M6jduiLJaw
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) July 9, 2024
The "illegal financing" is related to her 2022 Presidential campaign.
If found guilty, she faces up to 10 years in prison.
Prosecutors want to ban Marine Le Pen from being elected for five years.
This means she could be banned from the next presidential election in 2027.
— PeterSweden (@PeterSweden7) July 9, 2024
HUGE NEWS
The new right-wing Patriots for Europe alliance will be the third largest group in EU parliament with 84 seats.
New parties are joining by the day.
🇫🇷: Marine Le Pen's National Rally
🇭🇺: Viktor Orbán's Fidesz
🇳🇱: Geert Wilders Freedom Party
🇦🇹: Austrian Freedom…— PeterSweden (@PeterSweden7) July 8, 2024