Marine Le Pen's fake jobs trial

Marine Le Pen's political trajectory looks more uncertain than ever after prosecutors called for a temporary ban on the far-right French leader's public office ambitions.

In the last stretch of her trial for the alleged embezzlement of EU funds, Prosecutor Nicolas Barret delivered his closing statement before the Paris criminal court on Wednesday, demanding that Le Pen – a prominent face of France's far-right Rassemblement National (RN) party – face a five-year jail sentence, a €300,000 (£249,439) fine, and a five-year ban on running for public office.

"This last one would be the most significant for Le Pen herself, as it could disqualify her from running for president in the next election – set to be held in 2027," said The Local.

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Le Pen has staunchly denied the embezzlement accusations brought against her and 24 others. In court this week, she "promptly denounced the prosecutors' motion as excessive, branding it an 'outrage' and accusing prosecutors of trying to 'ruin the (RN) party'", said Le Monde.

She continued: "I think the prosecutors' wish is to deprive the French people of the ability to vote for who they want."

What charges does Le Pen face?

The RN (formerly known as the National Front) was accused of creating fake jobs between 2004 and 2016, hiring parliamentary assistants to work solely for the party but paying them with EU funds. The employees allegedly included a bodyguard for her and her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, a graphic designer, and a chief of staff.

Le Pen has so far given "general answers, or said she could not remember" when questioned over how she selected her parliamentary aides and what their tasks were, said The Guardian.

Accusations of the embezzlement scheme, which the French parliament said cost taxpayers millions of euros, first surfaced in 2015. The criminal trial against Le Pen, the party, and other officials, employees, and former politicians, began in September.

If Le Pen is found guilty of the scheme, she is likely to face a prison sentence and a heavy fine. And the prosecution's latest demands throw doubt on whether she would be able to run for office in 2027 – whether or not she decides to appeal the decision.

"Crucially, prosecutors also asked that the sentence be immediately executed," said Politico, "even if Le Pen were to appeal".

What could a guilty verdict mean?

Le Pen has run unsuccessfully for president three times, losing to Emmanuel Macron in 2017 and 2022. But the populist, nationalist RN party has made significant gains in the last several years, and is currently the largest group in the National Assembly. Its leaders are once again optimistic they could clinch the presidency in 2027.

Despite nominating her deputy as the RN candidate last time around, Le Pen has said she intends to be the candidate in 2027. Should she succeed "not only would she be the first hard-right ruler of France since the Vichy regime collaborated with the Nazis during the Second World War, but she also would be the first woman to occupy the role of head of state," said The Times. Yet those hopes "would be crushed if she was barred from office, as Barret wants".

Jordan Bardella, the current party head, "would be likely to take her place if she was ruled out of the race". But Bardella "could face competition" from 34-year-old Marion Maréchal, Le Pen's niece, "who has political ambitions herself", said The Times.

What has the response been?

Le Pen and her co-defendants have repeatedly denied all of the accusations brought against them. Le Pen "remains defiant", and maintains that "the work of parliamentary aides included legitimate political activities", said Euronews.

"Drawing a page from United States President-elect Donald Trump’s playbook", Le Pen has consistently characterised the trial as "politically motivated and accused the lead judge of 'biased' conduct", said Politico.

Other RN leaders have also been outspoken on social media, saying the prosecution's demands are disproportionate. In a post on X, Bardella called the demands "an assault on democracy".

French Parliament, on the other hand, "urged that all accused be found guilty" on Tuesday. "It estimated the financial damage to taxpayers at €4.5 million (almost £4 million), and said it would seek an additional €300,000 (almost £250,000) in compensation."

The defence will have the opportunity to present its case before the trial ends on 27 November. A verdict is expected by early next year.