on the RN trial, the embarrassing little sentence… | EUROtoday

Lhe trial of the parliamentary assistants of the National Rally is coming to an finish and all the things is going on as if the court docket had chosen to avoid wasting, if not the most effective, no less than essentially the most constant for final.

At the helm: Wallerand de Saint-Just. No hyperlink with the one whom the revolutionaries had nicknamed “the Archangel of Terror”. Traditionalist Catholic, former activist of the GUD (a small far-right scholar group), this honorary lawyer, who notably had Brigitte Bardot and Jean-Marie Le Pen amongst his purchasers, was between 2009 and 2021 treasurer and “volunteer” HR director of the National Front – grew to become National Rally in 2018.

Prosecuted for “complicity in embezzlement of public funds” within the trial of RN parliamentary assistants, he’s additionally a key witness, for the prosecution, on this affair during which Marine Le Pen stakes her political future – the extra penalty of ineligibility is “automatic”, for the offenses with which it’s accused.

In 2014, the get together’s funds had been drained and, on June 16 of the identical 12 months, “Wallerand”, intendant of the Paquebot (FN headquarters), despatched this distraught e-mail to “Marine”, who succeeded his father three years later. early: “Dear Marine, here are the 2013 accounts […]. Expenses tend to slip […] and are difficult to control. […]. In the years to come and in all cases, we will only get through this if we make significant savings thanks to the European Parliament and if we obtain additional payments. »

What Marine is asking us is equivalent to signing up for fictitious jobs.

Six days later, the same “Wallerand” in flip obtained, on his mailbox, an indignant e-mail from Jean-Luc Schaffhauser, newly elected to the Parliament of Strasbourg. The FN had simply made a spectacular breakthrough within the European elections of May 25, 2014, and like all his newly elected colleagues, Schaffhauser had simply been summoned to a gathering organized in Strasbourg by Marine Le Pen. The president had, throughout this assembly, requested the fortunate elected officers (24 in whole) to rent just one assistant for his or her parliamentary capabilities, and to provide him delegation to recruit others.

According to a number of witnesses, Schaffhauser emerged “furious” from the assembly. He had refused to take part on this “cooking” and had expressed his concern to “Wallerand” in an e-mail which, ten years later, seems to be cruelly premonitory: “What Marine is asking of us is equivalent to us signing for jobs fictitious… And it is the deputy who is criminally responsible for his funds, even if the party is the beneficiary […]. We’re going to get excited because we’ll definitely be looking closely at our uses with such a large group. »

Laconic response from Wallerand de Saint-Just, half an hour later: “I believe that Marine knows all that. »

“I believe that Marine knows all that”: the ex-treasurer of the get together needed to clarify this enigmatic method at size, Monday November 4 and Tuesday November 5 once more, earlier than the felony court docket. Dark swimsuit and graying beard, right here he’s once more on the helm. Like the day earlier than, the defendant (74 years previous) arrived together with his information, his bottle of mineral water and his sense of repartee, subjected to a extreme take a look at.

“‘What Marine is asking us is equivalent to signing for fictitious jobs’: this email sent to you by MP Schaffhauser is nonetheless very affirmative,” factors out the formidable Patrick Maisonneuve, lawyer for the European Parliament – ​​civil get together to the trial –, which appears to carry a bone with this embarrassing score.

Strong shrug of the defendant’s shoulders:

“I didn’t know what he was talking about, I wasn’t in on it and I completely trusted Marine not to commit the slightest irregular act.

– So you don’t talk to M^me Le Pen about Mr. Schaffhauser’s worried reservations? is surprised M.^e Maisonneuve.

– If I had had to talk to him about all the furies and all the rantings of this colleague, I would still be there. So no, in fact, I didn’t worry about this tiny thing and I didn’t force Marine to worry about it.

– You could have responded to the author of “this very little thing”, as you say: “You are talking nonsense.” But no, you write to him: “Marine knows all that.” It’s unusual, is not it?

To Discover



Kangaroo of the day

Answer

– It was an announcement of appreciable contempt, Schaffhauser was speaking nonsense.

– Do you need my emotions? reacts M^e Maisonneuve, your reply too is nonsense! »