In the trial of the FN parliamentary assistants, an accusation that aims to be an “exemplary response” to a “profound and lasting attack on the rules of the democratic game”

The deputies and assistants of the National Front (FN) expected a harsh accusation, it was ruthless. The prosecutor requested, on Wednesday, November 13, a five-year prison sentence against Marine Le Pen – she ran the risk of ten -, of which two years convertible into an electronic bracelet, a fine of 30,000 euros and five years in prison. provisional execution, that is, it applies immediately, even in the event of an appeal.

At the end of nine hours of prosecution, prosecutors Louise Neyton and Nicolas Barret also requested prison terms, often suspended, for the other 24 defendants, with very harsh words, heavy fines and disqualification always accompanied by a provisional execution.

“The only thing that interested the prosecution was Marine Le Pen, in order to request her exclusion from political life” protested the member for Pas-de-Calais after the hearing, also seeing in the requests a desire to “ruin the party”. The former president of the RN denounced again “a desire of the prosecutor’s office to deprive the French of the possibility of voting for whoever they want”. In reality, Marine Le Pen’s candidacy in 2027 should not be affected, except in terms of image, even if the court were to listen to the prosecution.

A decision of the Constitutional Council of October 22, 2009 regarding Senator Gaston Flosse established that provisional execution did not impose on the current mandate of parliamentarians, and ineligibility only applied after a final guilty decision, therefore after an appeal rejected by the Court of Justice. Cassation. Decision confirmed in 2021 by Senator Jean-Noël Guérini and in 2022 by Deputy Michel Fanget. Taking into account the usual deadlines for appeal and cassation, the final decision for M^me Le Pen probably won’t arrive before the presidential elections.

“The European Parliament was their source of income”

This is also the case of Julien Odoul, deputy for Yonne, whose “the contract combines almost all defects”AND “who came to the hearing to talk about almost anything. » Ten months of suspended prison, a fine of 20,000 euros and one year of disqualification with provisional execution were required, or Timothée Houssin, elected in Eure, for whom the prosecution demands the same penalty, but only with a fine of 10,000 euros. .

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