Marine Le Pen could get five years in prison

Published 14 November 2024 at 19.22

Foreign. Marine Le Pen risks a long prison sentence and may also be banned from running as a candidate in the next presidential election in France.

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During Wednesday, the the trial in France against Marine Le Pen from the right-wing National Rally party.

French prosecutors have called for a five-year prison sentence for the party leader. They also want to ban her from political activity for five years, which could affect her chances of standing in the presidential election in 2027.

Marine Le Pen and 24 other party officials are accused of embezzling funds from the European Parliament during 2004 and 2016.

The prosecutors have also demanded that Le Pen pay 300,000 euros in fines and that the ban on standing in election should take effect immediately, regardless of whether she appeals the sentence.

Marine Le Pen has denied the allegations. She showed no visible reaction during the trial and later commented that prosecutors' claims were “extremely outrageous” and accused them of being “only interested in preventing her from running in 2027”.

Prosecutors claim the fraud has cost The EU Parliament 4.5 million euros. The trial ends on November 27, but a verdict is expected later.