I think that starting a trial in 2023 for conduct in the mid-2010s, after the defendant got second place in the 2022 presidential election, is quite strange timing. Perhaps I don't know enough about French law; is it common in France for trials to begin a decade after the investigation started?
Very common, Sarkozy (ex president) was on trial for illegal campaign financing. It happened in 2007, has been investigated since ~2010, the trial started in 2025 and finished a few days ago
