Le Pen allies decry witch-hunt as prosecutors threaten presidential hopes

French far-right Rassemblement National (RN) Member of Parliament Marine Le Pen talks to the press a she arrives for the closing arguments hearing in the trial on suspicion of embezzlement of European public funds, at a court in Paris on 13 November, 2024. AFP - GEOFFROY VAN DER HASSELT

Allies of French far-right leader Marine Le Pen have accused the judiciary of a witch hunt and undue meddling in democracy after prosecutors requested she face an obligatory five-year ban from public office if convicted of misusing European Union funds.

The prosecutors' move to seek a "provisional execution" on the public office ban – a tough, rarely used tool that means the ban would stand irrespective of any appeal – casts doubt on Le Pen's chances of running in the 2027 presidential election.