1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:02,880 Speaker 1: With us now as Catherine Field, France correspondent Castherron. 2 00:00:02,920 --> 00:00:05,080 Speaker 2: Hello, good morning, Heather. 3 00:00:05,280 --> 00:00:08,959 Speaker 1: Okay, so we've got Marine la Pinon on trial. First 4 00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:11,160 Speaker 1: days wrapped up. How the first day go? 5 00:00:11,400 --> 00:00:15,000 Speaker 3: Well, it was actually extraordinary, Heather, because not only did 6 00:00:15,000 --> 00:00:18,800 Speaker 3: we see that farright leader of the French National Rallih 7 00:00:18,800 --> 00:00:23,600 Speaker 3: Marine Penn, coming into the dock, but also twenty four 8 00:00:23,680 --> 00:00:26,880 Speaker 3: other members of her party, all of them on trial 9 00:00:27,120 --> 00:00:32,120 Speaker 3: for accused of embezzling European parliamentary funds. They all have 10 00:00:32,240 --> 00:00:35,760 Speaker 3: pleaded not guilty. What it relates to, Heather, is right 11 00:00:35,800 --> 00:00:38,600 Speaker 3: back in two thousand and four, when it was then 12 00:00:38,800 --> 00:00:43,080 Speaker 3: the National Front was really starting to get going in politics. 13 00:00:43,080 --> 00:00:46,080 Speaker 3: It was getting members into the European Parliament, but they 14 00:00:46,120 --> 00:00:48,559 Speaker 3: didn't really have the money to be able to operate 15 00:00:48,640 --> 00:00:52,040 Speaker 3: properly here in France. So what they did was, or 16 00:00:52,080 --> 00:00:55,080 Speaker 3: what they're accused of doing, is taking some of the 17 00:00:55,120 --> 00:00:57,440 Speaker 3: money that was given to them for operating in the 18 00:00:57,440 --> 00:01:01,480 Speaker 3: European Parliament and used it to give jobs, contracts and 19 00:01:01,480 --> 00:01:04,640 Speaker 3: all sorts of work to parliamentary assistants who worked for 20 00:01:04,680 --> 00:01:08,319 Speaker 3: the actual party here in Paris, rather than on European 21 00:01:08,400 --> 00:01:09,720 Speaker 3: Parliamentary matters. 22 00:01:09,800 --> 00:01:12,119 Speaker 2: So the sums are quite exceptional. 23 00:01:12,360 --> 00:01:15,680 Speaker 3: About five and a half million New Zealand dollars is 24 00:01:15,720 --> 00:01:19,840 Speaker 3: how much they're accused of diverting. They've already paid back 25 00:01:19,840 --> 00:01:23,320 Speaker 3: about a quarter, just every quarter of that. But they 26 00:01:23,400 --> 00:01:26,360 Speaker 3: did say that does not mean that they are guilty 27 00:01:26,360 --> 00:01:29,120 Speaker 3: of this. But of course comes really bad time for 28 00:01:29,160 --> 00:01:34,399 Speaker 3: her because this could really derail her presidential ambitions. She 29 00:01:34,440 --> 00:01:36,680 Speaker 3: seems to think that she's in for a chance, this 30 00:01:36,880 --> 00:01:40,080 Speaker 3: last chance in twenty twenty seven, when the French presidential 31 00:01:40,120 --> 00:01:41,840 Speaker 3: elections and next due to take place. 32 00:01:42,360 --> 00:01:43,360 Speaker 2: Of course, if she's. 33 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:47,360 Speaker 3: Found guilty of embriziment, she could be not only sentenced 34 00:01:47,440 --> 00:01:51,040 Speaker 3: to prison term, but also the court could hand down 35 00:01:51,560 --> 00:01:54,320 Speaker 3: her right to stand for elected office. 36 00:01:54,920 --> 00:01:56,520 Speaker 2: That would last for about ten years. 37 00:01:56,600 --> 00:01:58,240 Speaker 1: Yep, quite a long double that would put it. That 38 00:01:58,280 --> 00:02:00,720 Speaker 1: would dash her hopes of any kind of leadership position 39 00:02:00,760 --> 00:02:01,680 Speaker 1: in politics, wouldn't it. 40 00:02:02,280 --> 00:02:04,560 Speaker 3: Oh, that would pretty much be the end of it. Yeah, 41 00:02:05,160 --> 00:02:08,079 Speaker 3: to come back from that, But they said she was 42 00:02:08,160 --> 00:02:10,480 Speaker 3: quite honest and court she said, look, we have not 43 00:02:10,639 --> 00:02:11,799 Speaker 3: violated any rules. 44 00:02:11,919 --> 00:02:12,560 Speaker 2: I will be here. 45 00:02:12,639 --> 00:02:15,200 Speaker 3: I will defend not just myself but also the way 46 00:02:15,240 --> 00:02:18,040 Speaker 3: the party was. So I think they've also been saying 47 00:02:18,240 --> 00:02:21,200 Speaker 3: over the years, there's this case. It's churned through because 48 00:02:21,200 --> 00:02:24,440 Speaker 3: it relates to what two thousand and four to twenty sixteen. 49 00:02:24,480 --> 00:02:24,880 Speaker 2: They're saying. 50 00:02:25,080 --> 00:02:28,320 Speaker 3: The problem is party financing. All the parties are doing that. 51 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:30,760 Speaker 3: It's just you think we're the only ones doing it. 52 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:33,560 Speaker 3: And so again we hear them playing the victim character. 53 00:02:33,639 --> 00:02:36,200 Speaker 3: You're only picking on us because we're the far right. 54 00:02:36,360 --> 00:02:39,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, of course, casn Now you guys have obviously got 55 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:41,919 Speaker 1: yourselves a government and a prime minister. Finally, do you 56 00:02:41,919 --> 00:02:42,880 Speaker 1: think it's going to hold? 57 00:02:43,080 --> 00:02:46,720 Speaker 3: This is the question, right, Well, that's right the seventh 58 00:02:46,760 --> 00:02:49,160 Speaker 3: of July when those elections were held, seen such a 59 00:02:49,160 --> 00:02:50,560 Speaker 3: long time ago, Dons. 60 00:02:51,160 --> 00:02:53,200 Speaker 2: There is the prime minister and the government. 61 00:02:53,440 --> 00:02:56,520 Speaker 3: And on Tuesday, the Prime Minister, Michelle Vanier will have 62 00:02:56,600 --> 00:03:00,560 Speaker 3: this sort of inaugural statement to the House. Parliament will 63 00:03:00,600 --> 00:03:04,200 Speaker 3: get to hear him set out his policy priorities will. 64 00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:06,840 Speaker 2: At last who knows, who knows. 65 00:03:06,880 --> 00:03:11,760 Speaker 3: Apparently he's going to announce all sorts of rises and taxes. 66 00:03:11,919 --> 00:03:14,560 Speaker 3: He's going to talk about cutting some public services. 67 00:03:15,080 --> 00:03:18,720 Speaker 2: It is a minority government. It is a very right 68 00:03:18,720 --> 00:03:19,400 Speaker 2: wing government. 69 00:03:19,560 --> 00:03:23,800 Speaker 3: Considering that, also considering that majority of people voted for 70 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:25,680 Speaker 3: center or left candidates. 71 00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:27,240 Speaker 2: Will he survives. 72 00:03:27,320 --> 00:03:30,280 Speaker 3: Well, he's clearly quite concerned about it because usually after 73 00:03:30,360 --> 00:03:33,720 Speaker 3: the Prime Minister sets out the policy priorities for the 74 00:03:33,760 --> 00:03:36,320 Speaker 3: next year, they put it to the vote in Parliament. 75 00:03:36,360 --> 00:03:39,680 Speaker 3: Now he's said, and the constitutionally he's allowed to do that. 76 00:03:39,880 --> 00:03:42,480 Speaker 2: He said, there will be no vote in parliament for 77 00:03:42,520 --> 00:03:43,080 Speaker 2: his speech. 78 00:03:43,640 --> 00:03:46,640 Speaker 1: How much do you reckon The Pope hated his trip 79 00:03:46,680 --> 00:03:47,800 Speaker 1: to Belgium. 80 00:03:48,280 --> 00:03:51,160 Speaker 2: Oh, I think he just hated it. He hated every 81 00:03:51,240 --> 00:03:55,720 Speaker 2: minute of the heather. He clearly misjudged the murder. 82 00:03:55,840 --> 00:04:00,480 Speaker 3: He came to Belgium into Luxembourg thinking and hoping he 83 00:04:00,520 --> 00:04:04,960 Speaker 3: will get quite a good response. Well aware of course 84 00:04:05,040 --> 00:04:08,040 Speaker 3: that Europe has become so much more secular over the 85 00:04:08,080 --> 00:04:11,120 Speaker 3: last few decades, and also that there has been this 86 00:04:11,320 --> 00:04:15,200 Speaker 3: constant question mark of a whether the Vatican, whether the 87 00:04:15,280 --> 00:04:19,919 Speaker 3: Church itself in Belgium has shown enough sorrow, has acted 88 00:04:20,040 --> 00:04:23,320 Speaker 3: enough in all these allegations of sexual abuse. 89 00:04:23,839 --> 00:04:27,240 Speaker 2: Now, what was two things particularly very embarrassing for him here. 90 00:04:27,279 --> 00:04:30,000 Speaker 3: That one was the Belgian Prime Minister and the Belgian 91 00:04:30,080 --> 00:04:34,320 Speaker 3: King both publicly asked the Pope to understand those who 92 00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:37,560 Speaker 3: had suffered sexual abuse at the hands of the clergy. 93 00:04:38,640 --> 00:04:40,480 Speaker 2: There was also criticism that. 94 00:04:40,400 --> 00:04:43,039 Speaker 3: The Vatican had not moved quickly enough on the then 95 00:04:43,160 --> 00:04:47,320 Speaker 3: Bishop of Bruges who retired in twenty ten after admitting 96 00:04:47,360 --> 00:04:48,839 Speaker 3: sexual abusing his nephew. 97 00:04:49,000 --> 00:04:50,680 Speaker 2: He was only defrault this year. 98 00:04:51,279 --> 00:04:54,920 Speaker 3: And then, of course the Pope went to Belgium to celebrate, 99 00:04:54,960 --> 00:04:57,640 Speaker 3: if you like, six hundred years of the famous Catholic 100 00:04:57,760 --> 00:05:00,719 Speaker 3: University and live in and two of the stood up 101 00:05:00,760 --> 00:05:04,840 Speaker 3: and made speeches criticizing the Catholic Church, saying that they 102 00:05:04,920 --> 00:05:07,919 Speaker 3: needed to do more to have a role for women 103 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:10,480 Speaker 3: within the church, they needed to do more for LGBT 104 00:05:11,600 --> 00:05:15,640 Speaker 3: Catholics and also you just saying you have to do more. 105 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:17,600 Speaker 2: So the Pope left went home. 106 00:05:18,000 --> 00:05:22,320 Speaker 3: Apparently on the way home on the plane he described 107 00:05:22,400 --> 00:05:27,760 Speaker 3: doctors who carry out abortions as hitmen. So you clearly 108 00:05:27,800 --> 00:05:29,680 Speaker 3: did not listen to any of the words that were 109 00:05:29,720 --> 00:05:31,880 Speaker 3: spoken to him during his trip and Belgium. 110 00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:33,880 Speaker 1: He's probably happy to be out of there. Hey, thank 111 00:05:33,880 --> 00:05:37,440 Speaker 1: you very much, Catherine always appreciated. As Catherine Field, correspondent 112 00:05:37,440 --> 00:05:40,880 Speaker 1: from France. For more from the My Asking Breakfast, listen 113 00:05:40,960 --> 00:05:42,039 Speaker 1: live to news talks. 114 00:05:42,040 --> 00:05:45,280 Speaker 3: It'd be from six am weekdays, or follow the podcast 115 00:05:45,279 --> 00:05:46,160 Speaker 3: on iHeartRadio.