EU Court Upholds Repayment Demand Against Jean-Marie Le Pen Estate

The European Union's General Court upheld a European Parliament decision requiring the estate of late French far-right politician Jean-Marie Le Pen to repay approximately €303,200 for expenses wrongly claimed during his tenure as a Member of the European Parliament from 1984 to 2019. The funds, charged as official parliamentary expenses, were found to have been used for personal items such as umbrellas, kitchen scales, and wine bottles, according to a report by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF). Le Pen and, after his death in January 2025, his heirs—including his daughter Marine Le Pen—challenged the repayment demand, arguing it violated legal certainty, legitimate expectations, and his right to a fair trial. The Court rejected these claims, ruling that the European Parliament had followed due process and that fair trial rights apply only to judicial, not administrative, proceedings. The ruling affirms that Le Pen and his family received multiple opportunities to respond during the investigation but failed to justify the expenses, and the decision can still be appealed. The case adds to ongoing legal scrutiny of Marine Le Pen's National Rally party ahead of future elections.