Significant political developments are expected on Monday, March 31, as a Paris court will rule whether the leader and MP of the Right National Coalition (RN), the party who came second in last July’s parliamentary elections, will have the right to be a candidate.
Lepen and other RN officials are accused of embezzling European Parliament funds of three million euros, allegedly available for the party’s payroll in France. Lepen and the others deny the accusations, which are aimed at, as Lepen argues, its political extermination. Given the impressive electoral outcome (32%) that its party achieved in the parliamentary elections and taking advantage of the French’s concerns about increasing the cost of living and for Lepen, she thinks she is more likely to emerge, this third time she intends to nominate the new chair.
What did the judges suggested
On November 13, 2024, prosecutors suggested to the judges, a fine of EUR 300,000 and a five -year ban on the right to be elected, and the penalty is not suspended even if Lepen appeals, requesting suspension of the provisional execution measure.
decision. Usually in France, penalties are not executed until the completion of the entire appeals against the sentence imposed. However, if the judges accept the proposal of the prosecutors and impose temporary execution, the sentence is immediate.
Will Lepen lose her parliamentary seat?
If the temporary execution of the sentence is imposed, Lepen will not lose its seat today at the National Assembly until the expiry of her term of office. However, the temporary execution of the five -year sentence will prevent her from exercising the right to vote in new elections and therefore not be able to be a candidate in the 2027 presidential presidential in which, under the Constitution, current President Emmanuel Macron has no right to be a third time.
In the event of her conviction, will Lepen have no hope of being a candidate in 2027?
Not necessarily. Judges are not obliged to accept the suggestion of prosecutors. They may decide to ignore the request for a temporary execution of the sentence or apply it for a shorter period, for example for one or two years, which would allow it to be a candidate in the 2027 presidential election. But if it is imposed a five -year ban on the right to the right of the right to the right of the right. The court’s ruling is overthrown if it appeals before 2027. However, the procedure of appealing a appeal in France can last months or even years.
In the event of Lepen, however, no right to be a candidate, leaders of her party claim that RN candidate in the 2027 presidential election will be the current party president, 29 -year -old MEP Zordan Bardela.
