Source: The Guardian [UK]
“A Paris prosecutor has requested a five-year prison sentence and a five-year ban from public office for the far-right leader Marine Le Pen, at a trial in which she and 24 others are accused of embezzling EU funds. The trial, which comes almost a decade after initial investigations started, threatens to undermine her National Rally (RN) party’s efforts to polish its image before the 2027 presidential election, which many believe she could win. … The trial runs until 27 November, after which the judges will retire to consider their verdict and consider what sentence to hand down, taking into account the prosecutor’s requests. The verdict is likely to be announced in early 2025.” (11/14/24)