After the appeal ruling: Le Pen announces an appeal to the Court of Cassation in the assistants’ case

Paris – 08.07.2026: The leadership of the Rassemblement National is taking the legal dispute over alleged misuse of European Parliament funds to the next instance. One day after the appeal ruling by the Cour d’appel in Paris, Marine Le Pen’s lawyer, Rodolphe Bosselut, announced that he would file a pourvoi en cassation. The aim is to examine the legal applicability of the criminal provisions invoked by the court of appeal. This lengthy case alleges that parliamentary funds were used for internal party tasks.

In French cassation proceedings, the Cour de cassation examines only the correct application of the law, not new facts. Success is therefore subject to strict conditions: the supreme court may overturn a ruling if it identifies legal errors, or uphold the decision. An annulment in cassation usually entails referral to another chamber, which will decide again on the basis of legal guidelines. Lawyers and legal experts note that timeframes vary, but decisions are generally issued within a few months.

Politically, the step is sensitive. On 7 July 2026, the appeal instance upheld or amended convictions against several former officials of the then Front National. According to the proceedings, the legal consequences primarily concern questions of fines, possible probation conditions, and potential disqualifications from office. Observers emphasize that cassation review mainly provides clarity on key legal grounds and can therefore have consequences for the enforcement or suspension of certain penalties. For Le Pen, the background issue is planning for the 2027 presidential election, whose participation requirements are being closely monitored both legally and politically.

The defense argues that the legal characterization of the alleged conduct adopted by the court of appeal is excessive. It must therefore be clarified to what extent the activities of the employees concerned should legally be attributed to the mandate in the European Parliament or fall within party organizational tasks. This distinction is central, because it determines whether there was misuse of public funds.

Regional broadcasters and national newspapers described the announcement as the next logical step in a complex case that has occupied politics and the judiciary for years. If the Cour de cassation were to identify legal errors, this would reopen the case and could call individual penalties into question. If, on the other hand, it upheld the appeal judges’ decision, the defense’s room for maneuver would be much narrower. Until then, it remains open how much the judicial dynamics will influence the electoral timetable — the only certainty is that the ruling of the cassation judges will likely shape the debate until 2027.