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Le Pen's future in the balance as French far-right officials go on trial for alleged EU funds misuse

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Le Pen's future in the balance as French far-right officials go on trial for alleged EU funds misuse

PARIS (AP) — The stakes are high for Marine Le Pen as she and other officials from the French far-right party National Rally go on trial Monday over accusations of embezzling European Union funds. The case has the potential to derail her political ambitions.

The nine-week trial will be closely watched by Le Pen’s political rivals as she remains a strong contender in the race to succeed Emmanuel Macron when the next presidential election takes place in 2027.

It comes as a new government dominated by centrists and conservatives just came into office in the wake of June-July legislative elections. Some observers expect the trial could prevent National Rally lawmakers, including Le Pen herself, from fully playing their opposition role in Parliament as they would be busy focusing on the party’s defense.

Since stepping down as party leader three years ago, Le Pen has sought to position herself as a mainstream candidate capable of appealing to a broader electorate. Her efforts have paid off, with the party making significant gains in recent elections at both the European and national levels. But a guilty verdict could seriously undermine her bid to take the Elysee.

The National Rally and 27 of its top officials are accused of having used money destined for EU parliamentary aides to pay staff who instead did political work for the party between 2004 and 2016, in violation of the 27-nation bloc’s regulations. The National Rally was called National Front at the time.

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Le Pen, whose party has softened its anti-EU stance in recent years, is denying wrongdoing and claims the case is politically driven.

“Parliamentary assistants do not work for the Parliament. They are political assistants to elected officials, political by definition,” she argued in her defense. “You ask me if I can define the tasks I assigned to my assistants; it depends on each person’s skills. Some wrote speeches for me, and some handled logistics and coordination.”

If found guilty, Le Pen and her co-defendants could face up to 10 years in prison and fines of up to 1 million euros ($1.1 million) each. Additional penalties, such as the loss of civil rights or ineligibility to run for office, could also be imposed, a scenario that could hamper, or even destroy, Le Pen’s goal to mount another presidential bid after Macron’s term ends. Le Pen was runner-up to Macron in the 2017 and 2022 presidential elections.

She served as party president from 2011 to 2021 and now heads the group of RN lawmakers at the French National Assembly.

Despite her denial, her party has already paid back 1 million to the European Parliament, the Parliament’s lawyer Patrick Maisonneuve said. Of that amount, 330,000 euros were directly linked to Marine Le Pen’s alleged misuse of funds.

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A longstanding controversy

The legal proceedings stem from a 2015 alert raised by Martin Schulz, then-president of the European Parliament, to French authorities about possible fraudulent use of European funds by members of the National Front.

Schulz also referred the case to the European Anti-Fraud Office, which launched a separate probe into the matter.

The European Parliament’s suspicions were further heightened when a 2015 organizational chart showed that 16 European lawmakers and 20 parliamentary assistants held official positions within the party — roles unrelated to their supposed duties as EU parliamentary staff.

A subsequent investigation found that some assistants were contractually linked to different MEPs than the ones they were actually working for, suggesting a scheme to divert European funds to pay party employees in France.

Alexandre Varault, a spokesperson for the National Rally who was elected to the European Parliament in June, told The Associated Press that Le Pen will attend the first day of the trial, adding that he hopes for the acquittal of all the defendants.

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Misuse of public funds alleged

Investigating judges concluded that Le Pen, as party leader, orchestrated the allocation of parliamentary assistance budgets and instructed MEPs to hire individuals holding party positions. These individuals were presented as EU parliamentary assistants, but in reality, were allegedly working for the National Rally in various capacities.

The European Parliament’s legal team is seeking 2.7 million euros in compensation for financial and reputational damages. This figure corresponds to the 3.7 million euros allegedly defrauded through the scheme, minus the 1 million euros already paid back.

During the 2014 European elections, the National Front won a record 24 MEP seats, finishing first with 24.8% of the vote, ahead of the center-right and the Socialists. This surge resulted in a substantial financial windfall for the party, which faced severe financial problems at the time.

An audit of the party’s accounts between 2013 and 2016 revealed that it was running a deficit of 9.1 million euros by the end of 2016. Yet, the party still had a cash balance of 1.7 million euros and had lent 1 million euros to Le Pen’s 2017 presidential campaign, while also holding 87,000 euros in loans to Cotelec, its funding association.

At the time, the party was also indebted to a Russian bank for 9.4 million euros, a loan taken out in 2014 for 6 million euros.

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Suspected systemic practice

The investigation uncovered many irregularities involving prominent party members.

Thierry Légier, the long-time bodyguard of Le Pen’s father Jean-Marie, was listed as his parliamentary assistant. But his resume did not reference this role, and he made no mention of it in his 2012 autobiography. Légier admitted during the investigation that he was not interviewed and signed his employment contract without fully understanding his official role.

Jean-Marie Le Pen, who led the National Front from 1972 to 2011, will not appear in court alongside his former colleagues due to health concerns. Now 96, he was deemed unfit to testify by a court in June. He has 11 prior convictions, including for violence against a public official and hate speech.

He has denied wrongdoing during his time as party leader, stating that the “pool” of assistants was common knowledge. “I did not choose which assistants were assigned to me. That was decided by Marine Le Pen and others. I only signed the contracts,” he said.

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Find more AP Europe coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/europe

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Traffic to resume at Sweden’s second-biggest airport after drone scare

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Traffic to resume at Sweden’s second-biggest airport after drone scare

GOTHENBURG, Sweden, Nov 6 (Reuters) – A drone incident that prompted a sabotage investigation and halted traffic at Sweden’s second-largest airport ended on Thursday night with flights preparing to resume.

Drones have caused major disruption across Europe in recent months, forcing temporary airport closures in several countries. Some officials have blamed the incidents on hybrid warfare by Russia. Moscow has denied any connection with the incidents.

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One or more drones were observed at the Gothenburg-Landvetter Airport on Sweden’s west coast around 1641 GMT, authorities said earlier on Thursday, forcing more than a dozen flights to be rerouted or canceled.

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“Police have now informed us that the incident is over and we therefore plan to start traffic back up again,” state-owned airport operator Swedavia told Reuters in a text message.

“We have launched an investigation into suspected aviation sabotage,” the police spokesperson said.

On Tuesday, drone sightings forced closures of airports and a military air base in Belgium in what the country’s defence minister called a coordinated attack.
On Thursday, police in Sweden’s neighbour Norway said they had closed a probe into suspected sightings that caused a shutdown of Oslo’s airport in September, citing insufficient evidence that drones had been present.

In neighbouring Denmark, several airports, including Copenhagen, also closed temporarily in September due to reported drone sightings.

Reporting by Johan Ahlander in Gothenburg and Louise Breusch Rasmussen in Copenhagen; editing by Anna Ringstrom, Leslie Adler and Lisa Shumaker

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

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Violent mob attacks pro-Israel gathering in Toronto days after mayor’s ‘genocide in Gaza’ remarks

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Violent mob attacks pro-Israel gathering in Toronto days after mayor’s ‘genocide in Gaza’ remarks

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A pro-Israel event in Toronto turned violent on Wednesday when anti-Israel activists stormed a private venue, injuring one speaker and damaging property. The attack came just days after Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow faced criticism for describing “the genocide in Gaza,” a remark that Jewish groups warned could inflame tensions in the city.

The event, organized by the student group Students Supporting Israel at Toronto Metropolitan University and featuring Israeli military veterans, was moved off campus at the last minute for safety reasons. Despite the secrecy, about 40 masked agitators found the venue and forced their way inside, breaking glass and attacking participants.

Israeli-American speaker Jonathan Karten, who divides his time between Israel and New York, said he had come to Toronto to talk to students about his uncle, Sharon Edri, an Israeli soldier kidnapped and murdered by Hamas in 1996. “As soon as we got there, we were attacked by roughly forty protesters—terrorists, whatever you want to call them,” he told Fox News Digital. “Five managed to get into the main room. One had a drill bit. A guy broke through the glass door, I got knocked in the face, and we barricaded ourselves with tables and chairs until police came.”

CANADA’S ANTISEMITISM ENVOY RESIGNS, CITING EXHAUSTION AMID HATE SURGE

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Masked pro-Palestinian protesters storm a pro-Israel event in Toronto, breaking glass and attacking attendees, Nov. 5, 2025.

He said the protesters seemed to know the location in advance. “They were waiting for us before we even started speaking,” he said. “It’s not something I assumed would happen in a civilian population in a Western country.”

The assault took place less than a week after Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said during an event that “the genocide in Gaza impacts us all.” The remark drew immediate outrage from Jewish organizations. “It’s shocking and dangerous language,” said Michael Levitt, CEO of the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center, who urged Chow to apologize and clarify that Israel is not committing genocide. “Words like these validate hate and normalize the harassment of Jews,” he told The Algemeiner.

UK SYNAGOGUE ATTACK AND HAMAS HOSTAGE CRISIS UNDERSCORE DEADLY YOM KIPPUR

Toronto antisemitism attack

Masked protesters violently disrupted a pro-Israel event in Toronto, breaking glass and attacking participants, Nov. 5, 2025.

According to the Toronto police statement, a group of protesters entered the private event without permission, damaged property, and caused attendees to fear for their safety. One person was injured by broken glass.

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Police arrested five people in connection with the attack. All are scheduled to appear in court in January.

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A Toronto police spokesperson told Fox News Digital that while antisemitic incidents remain the most frequently reported hate-motivated category in the city, they have declined 41% compared to last year.

Toronto antisemitism

Students try to block entrance from extremist protesters attacking an event organized by Jewish students in Toronot, Canada.

Despite his injuries, Karten said he intends to keep speaking on campuses. “We’re cautious, but not scared,” he said. “We have to make sure Jewish and Israeli voices are heard without fear.

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ICC confirms war crimes charges against Uganda’s rebel leader Joseph Kony

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ICC confirms war crimes charges against Uganda’s rebel leader Joseph Kony

The International Criminal Court confirmed 39 charges against Kony, paving the way for a trial if he is ever captured.

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Judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) have confirmed war crimes and crimes against humanity charges against Ugandan rebel leader Joseph Kony, nearly two decades after the court first issued a warrant for his arrest.

Kony, who remains at large, faces 39 charges, including murder, sexual enslavement and rape, making him the ICC’s longest-standing fugitive.

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Judges from the ICC’s Pre-Trial Chamber III said there are “substantial grounds to believe that Mr Kony is criminally responsible for the crimes” committed in northern Uganda between 2002 and 2005, when he commanded the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA).

Besides crimes committed by his rebels, the judges said Kony could also be held responsible for 10 crimes he allegedly committed himself, linked to two women he forced to become his wives.

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“Mr Kony issued standing orders to attack civilian settlements, kill and mistreat civilians, loot and destroy their property and abduct children and women to be integrated into the LRA,” the judges said in their ruling.

The ruling marks the first time the ICC has confirmed charges in a suspect’s absence, meaning the case can formally proceed to trial if Kony is ever captured. Under ICC rules, a full trial cannot begin without the defendant’s presence in court.

Prosecutors said efforts to track down and arrest Kony, now 64, are ongoing.

Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) soldiers pose during peace negotiations between the LRA and Ugandan religious and cultural leaders in Ri-Kwangba, southern Sudan, in 2008 [File: Reuters]

The ICC’s decision followed a three-day hearing in September in which prosecutors and victims’ lawyers presented evidence and testimony without Kony present – an unusual procedure that set the stage for Thursday’s ruling.

Years of investigations and witness accounts formed the basis of the decision.

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Emerging from northern Uganda’s Acholi region in the late 1980s, Kony’s LRA combined Christian mysticism with an armed rebellion against President Yoweri Museveni’s government.

The United Nations estimates about 100,000 people were killed and 2.5 million displaced during the conflict.

Even after being pushed out of Uganda, LRA fighters launched deadly raids across South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Central African Republic, burning villages, looting communities and abducting tens of thousands of children – the abducted boys forced to fight and girls forced into sexual slavery.

Kony came back into international focus in 2012 when a viral video about his crimes led to the #Kony2012 campaign on social media.

Despite the global attention and years of military operations to apprehend Kony, he remains at large.

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