The Paris prosecution has proposed a 5-year prison sentence with a 3-year suspension for Marine Le Pen, a five-year ban on seeking public office, and a €300,000 fine on charges of embezzling European Parliament funds.
The charges cover the period from 2004 to 2016, when she was a Member of the European Parliament for the far-right “National Rally” (RN) party.
The trial started in September and followed nearly a decade after initial investigations. If found guilty, Le Pen would be ineligible to run in the 2027 presidential elections, where she is seen as a favorite, even if she appeals the decision.
The financial damage is estimated at €4.5 million. She and 24 party officials are accused of hiring assistants for the RN who the EP paid.
The trial will continue until November 27, after which the judges will retire to deliberate their verdict and consider the sentence, considering the prosecution’s recommendation.
“The prosecutors aim to deprive the French people of their right to vote for their preferred candidate,” Marine Le Pen commented after the prosecution’s proposal.
Last month, she declared her innocence, stating, “I do not believe I have committed any irregularity or illegal act.”
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