Right-wing firebrand Marine Le Pen could soon see her ban for running from office in France’s presidential election upheld.Ms Le Pen, the leader of the National Rally (NR) party, is in court trying to overturn a conviction for embezzling of European Parliament funds.She was found guilty of running a “system” to divert EU funds towards the NR, and was sentenced to four years in jail, with two suspended.But amid her appeal, French state prosecutors have asked the courts to uphold her jail sentence – as well as a five-year election ban.Prosecutors have also called for a four-year prison sentence against the opposition party leader, three of which would be suspended, and one served at home with an electronic bracelet.They added that a fine of €100,000 (£86,000) should be imposed.
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Stephane Madoz-Blanchet, one of the prosecutors in the case, said: “The seriousness of the charges means any other sanction would be inadequate.”Ms Le Pen was expected to be one of the leading candidates in the 2027 elections, but received a five-year ban last March after her guilty verdict.She appealed last year’s decision in a case which is expected to last until next week – with a new verdict expected later this year.On Tuesday, state prosecutors argued Ms Le Pen was at the centre of a “thought-out”, “centralised”, and “industrial” system of embezzling funds.Taxpayer money allocated to members of the European Parliament to pay for their assistants in Strasbourg or Belgium, was used by the party to pay workers in France, the court heard.The loss to European funds was estimated at £4.2million between a period of 2004 – 2016, said prosecutors.The appeal court heard that her French workers had no connection to the European Parliament, and the party, then called Front National, made substantial savings through this system.Attorney General Stephane Madoz-Blanchet told the court Ms Le Pen was following in the footsteps of her father, former National Front leader Jean-Marie Le Pen.LATEST FROM THE CONTINENT:France ‘sinking to third-world status’ after devastating new figures emergeBritish tourists now forced to pay to view world-famous landmark – in the middle of a public squareAt least 14 migrants dead after asylum seeker boat crashes into coastguard off coast of GreeceShe said: “Marine Le Pen was the instigator, following in her father’s footsteps, of a system that enabled the party to embezzle €1.4million”.Another state prosecutor, Thierry Ramonatxo, said Mrs Le Pen made dangerous remarks about judges after the initial verdict last year.He said Ms Le Pen “made a choice to attack judges on the political stage rather than to reflect upon what she had been reproached for”.He added: “Speaking of a ‘tyranny of judges’, of a ‘violation of the state of law’ or of ‘political assassination’ is not part of the judicial debate in a democratic society. It is not part of a debate of ideas but rather is aimed at discrediting all judicial actions in their entirety.”Mr Ramonatxo told the court judges had experienced death threats because of the attacks.Le Pen sat in the front row of the court with 10 other appellants – while 13 NR members who were also convicted chose not to appeal.If the ban against Le Pen is maintained, she would be replaced by 30-year-old Jordan Bardella, her protege and reigning party president.President Emmanuel Macron is term-limited from running again – and Mr Bardella leads most opinion polls.
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