Sawt Falasteen - French prosecutors stick to demand for five-year ban for Le Pen

If the court upholds last year's bombshell ruling by a lower tribunal, Le Pen would be banned from running in France's 2027 presidential election, widely seen as her best chance at the top job.

The prosecution also sought a four-year prison term with three suspended and a 100,000 euro ($118,000) fine for the figurehead leader of the National Rally (RN) party, which has been riding high in the opinion polls.

Le Pen had hoped her appeal against her ban over a fake jobs scam at the European parliament -- an accusation the 57-year-old has denied -- would clear the way for her to run in the election afte Emmanuel Macron stands down.

But during closing arguments lasting nearly six hours, attorney general Stephane Madoz-Blanchet told the court that "Marine Le Pen was the instigator, following in her father's footsteps, of a system that enabled the party to embezzle 1.4 million euros".

Le Pen, the RN and 11 others are appealing a March 2025 ruling by a lower court, which sentenced her to four years in jail, with two suspended.

The first trial found Le Pen, along with 24 former European lawmakers, assistants and accountants as well as the party itself, guilty of operating a "system" from 2004 to 2016 using European parliament funds to employ RN staff in France.

Not all of those convicted have appealed.

The prosecutor's office had requested bans from public office ranging from one to five years for Le Pen and 23 others in the initial trial.

The lower court ordered that Le Pen's ban from public office take effect immediately -- without waiting for an appeal. The others were also banned.

- Presidential race at stake -

Le Pen has, during the appeal trial, denied that the RN had any "system" to embezzle European parliament funds and said her party acted in "complete good faith".

The appeal ends this month, with a verdict expected within months.

Le Pen made it to the second round in the 2017 and 2022 presidential polls, losing to Macron both times. But he cannot run again next year after two consecutive terms in office.

She now again risks the maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a one-million-euro ($1.16-million) fine if the appeal fails.

During Tuesday's hearing, prosecutor Thierry Ramonatxo pushed back at claims that the judiciary had in any way aimed to "block a party leader's ascent to the highest executive office".

"To suggest that the judiciary could oppose the will of the sovereign people is inaccurate," he said.

"A judge is the guardian of the law and merely applies it."

A French court last year handed an eight-month suspended jail sentence to a 76-year-old man over a death threat against the judge who convicted Le Pen.

O.Mousa--SF-PST