EU court says Marine Le Pen should pay back EU Parliament funds

Thomson Reuters

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The EU's second highest court on Tuesday upheld a decision by the European Parliament to recover 300,000 euros ($347,550) from far-right politician and former French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen.

Le Pen, also a member of the European Parliament between 2009 and 2017, had been ordered to pay after Parliament found she had unduly claimed the sum for a parliamentary assistant. Le Pen had taken the case to the EU Court.

"By today's judgment, the Court dismisses Ms Le Pen's action and confirms the Parliament's recovery decision," the General Court, the EU's second-highest, said.

Le Pen can still appeal the decision on points of law to the EU Court of Justice, the EU's top court.

(Reporting by Robert-Jan Bartunek; editing by Francesco Guarascio)

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