🚨Prosecutors demand five-year ban from public office for Marine Le Pen
Prosecutors demand five years of prison time, five years of ineligibility, a €300,000 fine, and what would effectively be the end of both Marine Le Pen and the Le Pen dynasty
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In news that will send shockwaves throughout the French and European political spheres, Prosecutors are seeking a five-year ban from public office for far-right political leader, Marine Le Pen.
A long-running trial surrounding the embezzlement of European Parliamentary funds continues, Marine Le Pen and the Rassemblement National have been under investigation for abusing European Parliamentary funds, creating fake jobs that were funded by the European Union between 2004 and 2016, with the money then being put toward political uses in France.
With Marine Le Pen merely being the most high-profile of the twenty-five defendants in this case, comprised of party executives, former MEPs, and parliamentary assistants, there are some very heavy punishments on the horizon with leniency based on the positions.
The prosecution has, however, requested that Marine Le Pen be found guilty of embezzlement, sentenced to five years of prison time, with two years of guaranteed time served, and five years of political ineligibility.
This would be compounded by a fine of €300,000, with demands of a €2 million fine for the Rassemblement National itself.
With Marine Le Pen having been the party leader and an MEP at the time, she is expected to be punished the most severely out of everybody, with the potential five-year ban extending past 2027, effectively ruling her out of the 2027 presidential elections.
The most interesting part, however, is that prosecutors are demanding that these all take place immediately, ignoring any potential appeal which would delay the ban.
The verdict is expected early next year, but the ramifications will already be felt.
Marine Le Pen had planned for 2027 to be the cornerstone of a successful and influential career, with her hoping to finally become the President of the French Republic and have the space to set up a longer-term plan.
She was also hoping to have more time to prepare her protégé, RN President Jordan Bardella, for longer-term success and to be able to carry the torch.
However, with Marine Le Pen potentially being forced out of her candidacy, this means that the deputy for Pas-de-Calais, who earned 13,288,686 votes (41.45%) in the 2022 Presidential Election, will likely see the end of her career and the rise of her protégé and literary victim, Jordan Bardella.
With a younger, more dynamic, if less experienced, less policy-focused individual who is effectively a communications product this could have some substantial impacts on the political field.
Not only this but without a titular Le Pen in charge of the far-right party, we may see far more instability and a lot more infighting within the RN, which could lead to a further implosion of the far-right force and a weakening of their political position.
Regardless, the centrist and left-wing parties will be celebrating a weakening of their biggest rivals, and may even feel emboldened to force their way towards that July 2025 legislative election we’ve all been hypothesising about.
Which may very well benefit a certain French President.
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