French prosecutors to request bans from office in far-right leader Le Pen appeal trial

PARIS – French prosecutors said on Feb 3 they will seek to have convictions upheld and certain defendants disqualified from office in the appeal trial of far-right leader Marine Le Pen and members of her party

over alleged fraud

.

“We are going to ask you to largely uphold the criminal liability established in the initial trial, and ineligibility sentences will of course be sought,” a prosecutor told a Paris court.

The demand came during the retrial of Le Pen, her National Rally party and 11 others over a fake jobs scam at the European Parliament that the far-right leader denies.

A lower court in 2025 sentenced Le Pen, a three-time presidential candidate,

to four years in jail,

two of which are a suspended sentence

, and banned her from running for office for five years in the case, throwing her 2027 presidential run into jeopardy.

It also fined her €100,000 (S$150,000).

The first trial found Le Pen, along with 24 former European Parliament lawmakers, assistants and accountants as well as the party itself, guilty of operating a “system” from 2004 to 2016 using European Parliament funds to employ RN staff in France. Not all of those convicted have appealed.

Le Pen has, during the

appeal trial from mid-January

, denied that her party had any “system” to embezzle European Parliament funds and said her party acted in “complete good faith”.

The appeal trial wraps up in February, and a verdict is expected this summer.

If the court upholds the first ruling, Le Pen will be prevented from running in the 2027 election, widely seen as her best chance to win the country’s top job after several failed attempts.

She made it to the second round in the 2017 and 2022 presidential polls, before losing to French President Emmanuel Macron. But he cannot run again in 2027 after two consecutive terms in office.

Le Pen now again risks the maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a one million euro fine if the appeal fails.

She is hoping to be acquitted – or at least for a shorter election ban and no time under house arrest. AFP