French prosecutors seek 'dismissal of right to vote' in 'far right' Le Pen...the danger of running for president

Marine Le Pen, the de facto leader of France's far-right National Union (RN), who was put on trial on charges of misappropriating EU funds, is on the verge of failing to run for president after seeking a prison term that would deprive him of his right to run for election.

According to AFP news agency on the 13th, French prosecutors asked Le Pen to deprive him of his right to run for five years in prison and five years in the trial.

The prosecution also sought a fine of 300,000 euros (about 450 million won).

French daily Le Monde explained that prosecutors had sought at least two years of five years in prison in "transformable" detention, which in part meant there was a possibility of release.

The prosecution also asked Le Pen to immediately apply the deprivation of her right to run for election immediately after the ruling, even if she appealed.

The People's Union expanded its power by increasing the number of seats in the early general elections that followed after a landslide victory in the European Parliament elections in June.

Rep. Le Pen also became the first far-right politician to advance to the final round twice in 2017 and last year's presidential elections, raising her profile and was scheduled to run for president in 2027.

However, if the sentence is carried out as the prosecution demands, Rep. Le Pen will not be able to run in the election for the next five years.

Prosecutors also asked 24 other defendants from the National Union, who were indicted along with Le Pen, to be disenfranchised for five years, and asked the National Union to fine them 2 million euros (about 2.97 billion won)."The law applies to everyone," prosecutor

Nicolaes Barrett told the court.

Rep. Le Pen's trial will end on the 27th, and the ruling will be made later.

However, if Rep. Le Pen is acquitted, he could gain momentum from his 2027 presidential bid, freeing himself from the charges that have dogged him over the past decade.

Rep. Le Pen immediately protested the prosecution's sentence, saying it was excessive.

Prosecutors have accused the French people of being only interested in preventing their presidential bid and trying to take away their right to vote for anyone they want.

Jordan Bardella, the leader of the National Union, also claimed that prosecutors are taking revenge on Rep. Le Pen.

Rep. Le Pen was indicted last year along with party officials on charges of misappropriating funds allocated for European Parliament activities between 2004 and 2016 with the salaries of party aides and others.

The European Parliament estimates the damage at 3 million euros (about 4.46 billion won), of which the National Union repaid 1 million euros (about 1.49 billion won).

However, the charges are not admitted.