The trial surrounding the embezzlement of EU funds could prematurely put an end to the presidential ambitions of French right-wing populist Marine Le Pen: on Wednesday evening in Paris, the public prosecutor’s office demanded a deprivation of passive status for five years for the 56-year-old Former faction leader of the Rassemblement National (RN) will be given the right to vote in addition to a prison sentence of several years.
Depriving them of the right to vote would prevent the defendants from standing as candidates for local or national elections, prosecutor Nicolas Barret emphasizes. Surprisingly, the prosecution demanded that the disenfranchisement apply immediately even if Le Pen appealed.
The Public Prosecution Service demands five years in prison and a large fine
A prison sentence, on the other hand, is usually postponed if an appeal is filed. In addition, according to the prosecutor’s wishes, Le Pen should be sentenced to five years in prison, three years of which are conditional, and a fine of 300,000 euros.
Le Pen refutes the accusations
Le Pen accused the Public Prosecution Service of pursuing political goals. “The only thing they are interested in is excluding Marine Le Pen from political life (…) and ruining the party,” the main defendant said after the prosecutor’s plea. She accused the Public Prosecution Service of “depriving the French of the opportunity to choose those they want to choose.”
Le Pen has already run for president in France three times and describes herself as her party’s “natural candidate” for the next presidential election in 2027.
The public prosecutor demanded varying prison terms and also the withdrawal of the right to stand for election against other RN members accused in the trial. The party must also pay back two million euros to the EU Parliament.
Right-wing populists respond with violent protests
RN party leader Jordan Bardella accused the prosecutor of an “act of revenge” against Le Pen and an “attack on democracy”. “The demands amount to millions of French people being deprived of their votes,” he wrote on X. Many party friends published photos of themselves with Le Pen and the hashtag “I supported Marine.”
Conservative former Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin also indirectly criticized the prosecutor’s demand as politically motivated: “Marine Le Pen must be defeated at the ballot box, not elsewhere.” This statement in turn led to criticism from the left-wing opposition.
Le Pen himself unveiled a plan B a few days ago. “I notice that some people are looking forward to getting rid of me,” she said at the presentation of a programmatic book by Bardella. “But there’s bad news: Even if they make it, there’s still Jordan Bardella.”
A decision is expected in early 2025
The trial, which has been going on for six weeks, concerns the alleged fictitious employment of assistants in the European Parliament. A ruling is expected in early 2025.
The Public Prosecution Service accuses Le Pen of an ‘organized system’ in favor of her party Rassemblement National (RN, formerly Front National). “The party was in a difficult financial situation and used everything it could, legal or not,” prosecutor Louise Neyton emphasizes. The EU Parliament was the party’s ‘cash cow’.
Le Pen claims innocence
In addition to Le Pen, her party, former and current EU parliamentarians and their aides are also accused. Le Pen repeatedly protested her innocence during the trial. She points out that the assistants do not work for individual MEPs, but for the entire group. However, the Public Prosecution Service accuses her of systematically using the assistants’ salaries to restructure the party’s finances.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
