The European Parliament is demanding 300,000 euros from Jean-Marie Le Pen for expenses deemed undue, a decision notified on July 8 to the former MEP and which arrives this Monday, October 7 in the public square because his lawyer filed an appeal before the EU justice system in Luxembourg. Jean-Marie Le Pen was a Member of the European Parliament between 1984 and 2019 and the costs claimed by Parliament span more than ten years
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With our correspondent in Brussels, Pierre Benazet
Between 2009 and 2018, Jean-Marie Le Pen would have spent 303,200.99 euros unjustifiably. The European Parliament accuses him of having unduly used an accounting line which is intended to cover administrative expenses and operating costs for political groups or MEPs who are not part of any group.
This “budget line 400”, according to Parliament’s nomenclature, must cover political activities and information and publication activities. The EU anti-fraud service (Olaf) made a report to the European Parliament two years ago. There are many information and publication activities, but in fact, there are mainly newsletters described by Olaf as “copied and pasted» overcharged for open access texts.
It is a priori there, due to fees, where the bulk of expenses are concentrated, but Olaf’s report also establishes a veritable Prévert-style list which mixes representation and operating costs: pens, business cards and desk clocks, but also ties, connected bracelets, virtual reality glasses and even 129 bottles of wine and kitchen scales.
Request for appeal before the General Court of the European Union
The former leader of the Frontist party lodged an appeal against the decision of the European Parliament before the General Court ofEuropean Unionhis lawyer, Me François Wagner, told AFP.
Contacted by AFP, the European Parliament indicated for its part that “ the administration of Parliament is required, when it receives serious indications that funds have been unduly paid, to carry out a verification of compliance with the applicable administrative financial rules of the case in question, to request clarification from the Member concerned and to recover the money unduly paid if no proof of compliant expenses is provided. » « This does not replace any legal procedure or investigation.e,” added the institution.
This dispute is distinct from that of the case of the assistants of MEPs, for which 26 defendants, including Marine Le Pen and the National Rally as a legal entity, have been appearing before the Paris criminal court since last week, suspected of embezzlement for having hired collaborators for the sole benefit of the party.
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