France's far-right Le Pen benefiting from political scandals
News that former French president Nicholas Sarkozy is to stand trial over allegations that his re-election campaign in 2012 was backed by illegal funding is adding to the woes of France's centre-right, just as its candidate Francois Fillon faces his own scandal over payments to members of his family. Furthermore, independent French candidate Emmanuel Macron is looking to pre-emptively squash speculation regarding an extra-marital affair. France's presidential election is just months away so these scandals can only boost other candidates in the election, with far-right leader Marine Le Pen the main beneficiary. However, she faces her own scandal over payments from the EU to her assistant.
Nicolas Sarkozy is to stand trial over allegations of illegally financing his failed 2012 re-election bid, the Paris prosecutor's office has said.

The prosecution claims the former French president went over the €22.5m (£19.4m) spending limit by using false billing from a public relations firm called Bygmalion.

Mr Sarkozy and 13 others will go to court on the order of a magistrate over the affair, which has involved charges of spending overruns and funding irregularities.

He denies any wrongdoing and Mr Sarkozy's team has said it will appeal against the decision.

Image: Mr Sarkozy, pictured with wife Carla Bruni, was nicknamed the 'bling-bling' president

Bygmalion allegedly charged €18.5m (£15.9m) to Mr Sarkozy's UMP party, which has since been renamed the Republicans, instead of billing his campaign.

Company executives have acknowledged the existence of fraud and false accounting, and the trial will focus on whether Mr Sarkozy himself was aware of what was going on.

When questioned by police in September 2015, Mr Sarkozy said he did not remember being warned about the accounting and described the controversy as a "farce".

The 61-year-old, who was nicknamed the "bling-bling" president for his displays of wealth, has been fighting legal problems on a number of fronts since losing the 2012 contest to Francois Hollande.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 2:06 2016: Sarkozy concedes defeat in French vote

After initially retiring from politics, Mr Sarkozy returned to lead the Republicans and sought the party's nomination to run for president in this year's election.

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In a surprise result, he was eliminated in the first round of the primary contest, trailing behind the eventual winner Francois Fillon and former prime minister Alain Juppe.

The decision comes as French politicians face growing scrutiny of their personal finances in the run-up to the presidential election in April and May.

Only one other president - Jacques Chirac - has been tried in France's fifth republic, which was founded in 1958.

He was given a two-year suspended prison sentence in 2011 over a fake job scandal.