European Parliament: Le Pen family to repay €300,000 in undue office expenses
The General Court of the European Union on Wednesday, July 16, rejected an appeal by Jean-Marie Le Pen's heirs against a decision requiring the former leader of the National Front (now the National Rally) to repay approximately €300,000 in undue parliamentary expenses, according to a press release.
This case is separate from that of the former National Front's parliamentary assistants, which led to convictions for several party figures , including Marine Le Pen, in Paris in early 2025. It concerns Jean-Marie Le Pen's personal expenses "unduly" billed as office expenses while he was an MEP.
Parliament accused the co-founder of the far-right party, who was an MEP almost continuously for three decades until 2019, of having entered a whole series of personal expenses under "budget line 400" , intended to cover operating expenses in the EU's only elected institution.
According to a report by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), he was unduly reimbursed for expenses such as newsletters, pens, business cards, ties, an umbrella, kitchen scales, desk clocks, smart bracelets, virtual reality glasses and even 129 bottles of wine.
The Secretary-General of the European Parliament notified Jean-Marie Le Pen in July 2024 that he was to repay the sum of precisely €303,200.99. The National Front leader contested this request and, after his death on 7 January 2025, his three daughters, Marine, Yann, and Marie-Caroline, continued the ongoing proceedings as heirs, the EU General Court explained.
In its judgment, the Luxembourg-based court noted that the Parliament's procedure leading to the claim for this reimbursement "is not contrary to the principles of legal certainty and the protection of legitimate expectations" . Consequently, "the Court dismisses the appeal brought by Mr Le Pen and his heirs" .
An appeal limited to points of law may be lodged with the Court of Justice of the EU within two months and ten days of notification of the decision, it was specified. The European Parliament said it "took note" of the court's decision.
La Croıx
