The reasons why Marine Le Pen could be banned from seeking the presidency – but stay on as an MP
A demand from the Paris public prosecutor that far-right leader Marine Le Pen should be banned from standing for public office for five years has sparked widespread political debate. The call by the prosecution - during a trial in which the former presidential candidate and some of her party's officials face allegations over the misappropriation of European Parliament funds - has also led to intense legal discussion about the true impact this punishment might have on the far-right leader. Under current law it seems that any such ban would bar her from standing at the 2027 presidential election; but that she could continue to serve as a Member of Parliament. Fabrice Arfi and Michel Deléan explain.
TheThe court's verdict is still to come, but the justice system itself is already on trial. The plea by prosecutors on November 13th for Marine Le Pen to be made ineligible for public office over the ongoing case involving the far-right Rassemblement National’s (RN) alleged misappropriation of European Parliament funds has sparked a wave of protest from certain politicians. These are predominantly on the Right (such as former interior minister Gérald Darmanin) and the far-right (such RN leader Jordan Bardella and the far-right Reconquête party's Éric Zemmour), who appear unwilling to accept that the law might apply to their own circles.
