Le Pen, whose party has softened its anti-EU stance in recent years, denies wrongdoing and claims the case is politically driven. Le Pen was runner-up to Macron in the 2017 and 2022 presidential elections. This figure corresponds to the 3.7 million euros allegedly defrauded through the scheme, minus the 1 million euros already paid back. 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. That was decided by Marine Le Pen and others.

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Persons: Marine Le Pen, Le Pen, ”, Le Pen’s, Emmanuel Macron, Pen, Le, Patrick Maisonneuve, Martin Schulz, Schulz, Alexandre Varault, Alain Jocard, Pen’s, Thierry Légier, Jean, Marie, Légier, Marie Le Pen, “ Organizations: Paris AP, National Rally, centrists, French National Assembly, National, Associated Press, Getty, National Front, Socialists Locations: Paris, France, AFP, Russian