French prosecutors seek five-year ban on Le Pen over EU fund misuse, risking her 2027 presidential run.

French prosecutors have requested a five-year ban on Marine Le Pen from holding public office during her appeal trial, citing her role in a scheme to misuse European Parliament funds between 2004 and 2016. The case, which could bar her from running in the 2027 presidential election, stems from a 2025 conviction for paying party staff with EU money, a practice prosecutors call a deliberate breach of integrity. Le Pen, who acknowledges some arrangements were flawed but denies wrongdoing, maintains the actions were mistakes, not fraud. The appeal trial concluded in early February, with a verdict expected this summer. If upheld, the ban could disqualify her from the race, potentially paving the way for her protégé Jordan Bardella to lead the National Rally.