Francois Bayrou, 71, will be tried for complicity in the embezzlement of European public funds, between June 2005 and January 2017, as president of the UDF party and then MoDem. On 9 March, two investigating judges ordered a trial for the majority pillar and ten other party cadres at the time, including former Minister of Justice Michel Mercier and former MEP Jean-Luc Bennahmias.
They are suspected of having used EU funds to hire parliamentary assistants who would in fact have worked, at least partially, for the party.