Le Pen Appeal Shifts to Defense After Prosecutors Seek Five-Year Ban

Overview

• Prosecutors asked for four years in prison, including one year firm, five years of ineligibility, and a €100,000 fine, slightly softening first-instance demands and dropping provisional enforcement.
• Defense pleadings opened with co-defendants disputing any fraudulent intent and portraying irregularities as negligence rather than an organized diversion of EU funds.
• Le Pen’s lawyers are preparing a legal argument that the offense of misappropriation of public funds should not apply to members of the European Parliament.
• If the court confirms five years of ineligibility, Le Pen could be barred from the 2027 ballot, whereas a reduction to two years might expire around March 31, 2027, subject to filing deadlines and institutional decisions.
• Political figures from different parties criticized the prospect of sidelining Le Pen through ineligibility, with the justice minister saying she should be challenged at the polls, while commentators warned a conviction could complicate Jordan Bardella’s potential campaign.