French far-right politician Marine Le Pen, on trial for the misappropriation of EU funds, on Wednesday condemned the “violence” and “excessiveness” of demands by French prosecutors.
The prosecution called for a prison sentence of five years, two of them to be served immediately, along with a fine of €300,000, and a five-year prohibition from running for office for Le Pen.
“I believe the prosecutors want to deprive the French people of the ability to vote for whom they want” and “ruin the party,” Le Pen said in response.
The prosecution requested that Le Pen’s sentence take immediate effect, meaning it would begin upon conviction, even if she appeals. This could severely impact on her ambitions for the 2027 presidential elections.
Alongside Marine Le Pen, her father Jean-Marie Le Pen, her Rassemblement National (RN) party, and 23 others are also on trial at the Correctional Court of Paris.
Le Pen and her co-defendants are suspected of using European Union funds between 2004 and 2016 to pay for party workers under the guise of parliamentary assistants.
Marine Le Pen has always denied these accusations.
