Marine Le Pen could face 10 years in prison as she's accused of 'embezzling EU funds' for own party

Le Pen - who denies the accusations - and a spate of party staff allegedly used money destined for EU parliamentary work to pay RN - then known as the National Front - employees.

The European Parliament claims the total sum to be €3.5million (£2.9million) - but the right-wing firebrand is "not worried" about the trial, according to RN spokesman Laurent Jacobelli.

He added: "She knows that what we are accused of is having a different understanding, as a French party, of what an assistant role is, compared with the European Parliament's understanding."

Jacobelli was referring to Le Pen's alleged hiring of so-called fictitious assistants, including co-defendant Thierry Legier.

Prosecutors say Legier, signed up as an assistant, had really worked as a bodyguard to Le Pen and her father Jean-Marie Le Pen, founder of the National Front, between 2005 and 2012.

If found guilty, Le Pen and others could face a prison sentence of up to 10 years - as well as a €1million (£840,000) fine.

She, and others who were elected officials at the time of the alleged offences, also risk being barred from public office for up to 10 years.

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Those who did not hold elected positions could be barred for up to five years.

Paris's public prosecutor's office had opened the probe in 2016 after European Parliament bigwigs filed a report with the French Justice Minister.

Investigators looked at the situation of 49 RN parliamentary assistants over the past three European Parliament terms.

They charged 11 RN members of the EU assembly - including Marine Le Pen and her father - for misappropriation of EU funds, and charged 13 parliamentary assistants with receiving the funds.

Jean-Marie Le Pen, 96, will not attend the trial, slated to conclude on November 27, for health reasons.

But the embezzlement trial isn't the only tribulation facing the RN - the party is under another preliminary investigation, launched in July by the Paris prosecutor's office, into alleged illegal financing of its 2022 presidential campaign.

Prosecutors want to know how Le Pen's campaign spent its €11.5million (£9.7million) of funding in her third run for the presidency.

Jordan Bardella, who succeeded Le Pen at the head of the RN, denies all the charges - and has labelled them "politically-motivated".