Marine Le Pen admitted that her 'political death' is at stake in a verdict that is expected today whether she and her national rally party have darkened European parliament funds.
The extreme right-wing politician and 24 other party officials are accused of having used money for the parliamentary assistants of the European Union to pay staff who worked for the party between 2004 and 2016, whereby the regulations of the 27-country block are violated.
Le Pen, 56, and other co -suspects denied misconduct during the nine -week process that took place at the end of 2024, and she claims that it was tried as a 'political target'.
But her greatest concern is that she could not be eligible to look for a public office if they found guilty.
Officers of Justice have asked for a prison sentence and a prohibition of a public office that would immediately apply, even if she appeals.
The court would also decide whether Le Pen would give a prison sentence – which would be suspended during any appeal.
That can cause a different possible headache for the extreme right -wing leader. If she appeals, she will automatically receive a new process, but it will probably take place in 2026, just a few months before the presidential election.
Le Pen seems to anticipate a guilty verdict and tells the panel of three judges: “I have the feeling that we were unable to convince you.”
During the trial, prosecutors asked for a two-year prison sentence for Le Pen and a period of five years of non-subsidiaability. They “want my political death,” said then.
Marine Le Pen arrives for the hearing of the final arguments in the trial on suspicion of embezzlement of European public funds, at a court in Paris on November 13, 2024
Marine Le Pen responds to the National Meeting, Tuesday, January 14, 2025 in Paris
Her young lieutenant and protege Jordan Bardella, 29, who is the RN party chef, is not part of the accused in the trial and is also seen as a potential presidential competitioner, Marine Le Pen must fall.
In an important decision on Friday, the Constitutional Council ruled that a period of non -subsidiaability is in accordance with the French Constitution with immediate effect.
But it also emphasized that it is up to the judges to assess the consequences of imposing such a ban and to ensure that the ruling is 'proportional' and takes into account 'the preservation of the freedom of voters'.
The Constitutional Council has shown its ruling in a separate case that is not a direct connection with Le Pen's.
Nevertheless, the conclusions were investigated because they offer legal guidelines that judges probably take into account.
The Constitutional Council also underlined that the court could decide not to impose any period of non -subsidiaability. In that case the prohibition would be suspended pending appeal.
Marine Le Pen arrives on the criminal law of Paris for its trial on suspicion of embezzlement of European public funds, in Paris, on November 18, 2024
Jordan Bardella speaks during a conference on anti -Semitism in Jerusalem on March 27, 2025
For more than ten years, Le Pen has worked to make her party more mainstream and to deepen his extremist lead to broaden his attraction for voters.
After third place in the presidential polls of 2012, Marine Le Pen made the drain in 2017 and 2022, but was defeated by Emmanuel Macron on both occasions.
Yet 2027 could be another chance, where Macron is no longer allowed.
The life of Le Pen is characterized by the legacy of her openly racist father, a veteran of the long war in Algeria who eventually led to the independence of the former French colony.
In 2011, Le Pen took over the leadership of the National Front (FN) from her father Jean-Marie, who was co-founder of the most important post-war extreme right-wing movement of France.
Distanty It of her father's legacy, who has made openly anti-Semitic and racist statements, renamed the party The National Rally (RN) and started a policy that she called “Dediabolization” (“de demonization”))
Jean-Marie Le Pen gestures during a political meeting in the Palais Omnisports de Paris Bercy (POPB), in Paris, on 2 June 1988
Macron (shown March 27) will no longer be able to stand in 2027, a chance for RN
The work wore fruit in the Snap Legisend Polls last summer, with the RN that emerged as the largest single party in the national meeting, although it would have focused without the outright majority.
That gave Le Pen an unprecedented power about French politics, which she used by supporting a vote without trust that Prime Minister Michel Barnier had overthrown the government later in the year.
Critics accuse the party of still inherently racist, take too long to distance themselves from Russia and resort to corrupt tactics to alleviate the tense finances, allegations of the denies.
But playing on the daily concerns of people about immigration and the costs of living, Le Pen is now seen as her best chance of winning the French presidency in 2027 after three failed attempts.
