Paris prosecutors have sought five years in prison and five years ban from public office in a trial in which far-right leader Marine Le Pen and 24 others were charged with embezzling EU funds.
The trial, which comes almost a decade after the initial investigation began, threatens to undermine efforts by the National Rally (RN) to burnish its image ahead of the 2027 presidential election, which many believe she will win. There is.
On Wednesday, Paris prosecutors asked Le Pen to be fined 300,000 euros (about £249,439), sentenced to five years in prison and given a provisional disqualification. This means the ban on running for public office takes effect immediately.
If the court finds her guilty in this preliminary execution, Le Pen will not be able to contest the election even if she appeals the ruling.
The trial will run until November 27, after which the judges will leave the court to consider the verdict and consider what sentence to impose, taking into account the prosecution's requests. A verdict could be announced in early 2025.
Ms Le Pen, her RN party and 24 others (party executives, staff, former MPs and political aides) were awarded the European Parliament's salary as a salary to staff working in France for the party, then known as the Front National. He is accused of using funds. .
The RN, like other far-right parties across the continent, is on the rise after performing well in June's European elections.
As Le Pen sat in the front row of the defendant's box, prosecutor Nicolas Barrett told the court that “the law applies to everyone” and that the ban would “prevent the defendant from running in future local or national elections.” will be prohibited,” he added.
He called for Le Pen to be sentenced to five years in prison, arguing that at least two years of the sentence would be a “convertible” prison term, meaning he would be eligible for partial release.
“I think what the prosecutors want is to deprive the French people of the right to vote for whoever they want,” Le Pen later said.
Suspicions of a fraudulent employment system were first brought to light in 2015, and cover parliamentary assistant contracts from 2004 to 2016. Prosecutors claim the assistants worked exclusively for the party outside of parliament.
Le Pen said during her trial last month that she was innocent. “I have no sense of any slight wrongdoing or illegality,” she said.
Asked last month how exactly she selected her alleged parliamentary aides and what their duties were, Ms. Le Pen either gave general answers or said she did not remember. .
If convicted, Le Pen will be able to appeal.
European Parliament authorities have announced that the employment scheme has cost the parliament 3 million euros. RN has repaid 1 million euros, but says this is not an admission of guilt.
Reuters and Agence France-Presse contributed to this report
