French prosecutors have requested a five-year prison sentence and a ban from holding public office for Marine Le Pen, the former leader of the far-right National Rally party, in an ongoing embezzlement trial. Le Pen, along with 24 other current and former members of the National Rally, is accused of misusing €3 million ($3.3 million) in European Parliament funds intended for parliamentary assistants between 2004 and 2016. The funds, prosecutors claim, were diverted to support party business rather than parliamentary work, which would be in violation of EU law. All of the accused, including Le Pen, have denied the allegations.
The prosecution has argued that Le Pen should face the harshest penalty, highlighting her position as a former member of the European Parliament and the leader of the National Rally at the time some of the alleged offenses occurred. Le Pen led the party, then known as the National Front, from 2011 until 2021, and remains an influential figure within the party. Prosecutors have proposed that three years of Le Pen’s sentence be suspended, with the remaining two years potentially served with an electronic bracelet. They also called for a fine of €300,000 ($316,000).
In addition, prosecutors requested a five-year ban on Le Pen running for public office, which would disqualify her from participating in the 2027 presidential election if found guilty. Le Pen, who has announced plans to run for president for a third time, expressed frustration with the proceedings, claiming that the prosecutors’ objective is to remove her from political life entirely. “It is clear that the only thing the public prosecutors wanted was Marine Le Pen’s exclusion from political life,” she said following the hearing.
Jordan Bardella, the current leader of the National Rally, who is not a defendant in the case, criticized the legal action, accusing prosecutors of attempting to “persecute and take revenge on Marine Le Pen” in what he described as an “assault on democracy.”
In addition to the request for Le Pen’s penalties, the prosecutors also sought a €2 million fine for the National Rally and one to five-year bans on running for public office for the other accused individuals.
The defense will have the opportunity to present their arguments before the trial concludes on November 27, with a verdict expected in early 2025. The case has garnered significant attention, particularly as Le Pen eyes a potential run for president, following her loss in the 2022 presidential election, where she was defeated by President Emmanuel Macron in a second-round vote, 58.55% to 41.45%.
