EU court orders Le Pen’s heirs to repay €300,000 in misused funds

On July 17, the General Court of the European Union (the first instance of the EU Court of Justice) upheld a decision by the European Parliament ordering the heirs of the late French far-right politician Jean-Marie Le Pen to repay €303,200 for improperly declared expenses during his tenure as a Member of the European Parliament.

According to the court ruling, Le Pen’s daughters—Marine Le Pen, Yann Maréchal, and Marie-Caroline Olivier—continued the case as his heirs following his death on January 7, 2025, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

Le Pen, who founded the political party National Front—later renamed National Rally—and served as an MEP from 1984 to 2019, had contested the repayment order, claiming it violated legal certainty, legitimate expectations, and his right to a fair trial.

The court rejected these claims, confirming that the European Parliament followed due legal process: Le Pen had been properly notified, given an opportunity to respond, and failed to justify the expenses.

It also ruled that the right to a fair trial applies only to judicial, not administrative, proceedings.

Jean-Marie Le Pen, who died on January 7, 2025, was a towering figure in French far-right politics.

The case stems from allegations that Jean-Marie Le Pen misused EU parliamentary funds during his tenure as an MEP.

Specifically, the European Parliament accused him of improperly declaring expenses, likely related to the employment of parliamentary assistants or other office-related costs, which were not adequately justified.

By Khagan Isayev