• Prosecutors request a five-year ban on Marine Le Pen from holding public office.
• Le Pen is accused of embezzling EU funds amounting to €4 million.
• The outcome of this appeal trial could impact her 2027 presidential run.
• Prosecutors did not seek immediate enforcement of the previous sentence.
• Le Pen denies wrongdoing, claiming her party acted in good faith.

French prosecutors have requested an appeals court to uphold a five-year ban on far-right leader Marine Le Pen from holding public office, stemming from a scandal involving the misuse of European Parliament funds. Prosecutors allege that Le Pen and her National Rally (RN) party embezzled over €4 million to pay party staff in France between 2004 and 2016. They indicated that they will ask the court to maintain the criminal liability established in the initial trial, which last March resulted in Le Pen's conviction, including a substantial fine and prison time, potentially jeopardizing her political future, according to Le Monde, Reuters, and Anadolu Agency.

The initial ruling had significant implications for Le Pen, banning her from running for office for five years and sentencing her to four years in prison, two of which were to be served under house arrest with an electronic tag. Prosecutor Thierry Ramonatxo emphasized that Le Pen was central to orchestrating a scheme to divert European Parliament funds, stating, "She signed the contracts. She cannot claim that she didn’t know," according to Reuters and Anadolu Agency.

Despite the accusations, Le Pen has maintained her innocence, claiming that the RN acted in "complete good faith." She is now facing the possibility of a maximum ten-year prison term if her appeal fails. The outcome of her appeal could significantly affect her potential candidacy for the 2027 presidential election, as the verdict is anticipated later this summer, according to Le Monde, Reuters, and Anadolu Agency.