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France’s Marine Le Pen has been found guilty of misappropriating European funds to finance her far-right National Rally (RN) party, in a case which could lead to her being barred from standing in the 2027 presidential election.
Le Pen was accused, along with more than 20 other senior party figures, of hiring assistants who worked on her RN party affairs rather than for the European Parliament which paid them.
Prosecutors last year said Le Pen’s punishment should be not just a €300,000 (£250,000) fine and prison term, but also ineligibility from running for public office for five years.
Crucially, he said the ineligibility should kick in straightaway, and not be suspended pending appeal.
The judge has not yet said what the sentence will be.
Judges could also decide not to impose automatic ineligibility with her conviction, which would leave her free to stand in 2027 during an appeals process.
The court could also give her a shorter term of automatic ineligibility – say one year – making it possible for her to run.
During the trial last year, Le Pen denied she had committed “the slightest irregularity”.
The reading of the verdict, which started shortly after 10:00 (09:00 BST), is expected to take up to two hours.