Former French Prime Minister Francois Fillon, along with his wife Penelope Fillon and his substitute in the National Assembly, Marc Joulaud, are facing a new trial in the fake jobs scandal. The Court of Cassation has definitively confirmed their guilt for “misappropriation of public funds” and “complicity in misuse of corporate assets”. While the convictions of Penelope Fillon and Marc Joulaud have been upheld, a new hearing will be held solely to reconsider the sentences imposed on Francois Fillon and the amount of damages (126,167 euros) that the Fillon couple must pay to the National Assembly.
Francois Fillon, who was sentenced to four years in prison in the 2022 appeal trial, including one year in prison, a fine of 375,000 euros, and ten years of ineligibility, had appealed to the Court of Cassation for a third trial before the Court of Appeal. Following a recent victory in September 2023 at the Constitutional Council, where a procedural rule regarding nullity challenges was abolished, Fillon’s defense team saw the possibility of a new trial on the horizon.
During the 2021 appeal trial, Francois Fillon had attempted to challenge the criminal proceedings against him by invoking nullity grounds, based on the explosive statements made by former National Financial Prosecutor Eliane Houlette in June 2020, regarding the independence of the judiciary. Despite his efforts, the Court of Cassation decision has set the stage for a fresh review of the case, focusing on Fillon’s sentence and the financial penalty imposed on the Fillon couple by the National Assembly.
The Fillon scandal has been ongoing since 2017 when allegations emerged that Penelope Fillon had been paid for a fictitious job as a parliamentary assistant to her husband and Marc Joulaud. The scandal led to Francois Fillon’s resignation as the Prime Ministerial candidate in the 2017 Presidential election, affecting his political career and reputation. The legal battle that followed, culminating in multiple trials and court decisions, has further tarnished Fillon’s image and raised questions about the misuse of public funds in French politics.
The conclusion of the Court of Cassation, confirming the guilt of Francois Fillon, Penelope Fillon, and Marc Joulaud, marks a significant step in the long-standing legal saga. The upcoming trial to reassess Fillon’s sentence and the damages owed to the National Assembly will once again put the spotlight on one of the most controversial political scandals in recent French history. As the case continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how Fillon and his co-defendants will navigate the legal challenges ahead and what implications this may have on their future political prospects.
