Verdict due next March in Marine Le Pen's EU graft charges trial

By Juliette Jabkhiro

PARIS (Reuters) - French judges will deliver verdicts on March 31 in the trial of Marine Le Pen and her far-right party on charges of misappropriating European Union funds, a ruling that could have far-reaching political consequences.

Prosecutors are seeking a five-year ban from public office for Le Pen, which could prevent her from running in the 2027 presidential election - something her lawyer called an attack on democracy.

Le Pen, her party - which was at the time called the National Front, and others including former lawmakers and parliamentary assistants are accused of using money destined for work at the European Parliament to pay staff who were actually working for the party.

Le Pen and her co-defendants deny the charges and say the way they used the money was legitimate, and that the allegations are based on a too-narrow definition of what a parliamentary assistant does.

Prosecutors' request for an immediate ban on running for public office "are a weapon of mass destruction against democracy", lawyer Rodolphe Bosselut told the court on the last day of trial. "This is not just about Marine Le Pen, but also about at least 13 million voters," he said.

Le Pen, who lost to Emmanuel Macron in the second round of France's presidential election in 2017 and 2022, is widely seen as the current frontrunner for 2027.

In the event of a conviction, judges may still choose to reject prosecutors' request for a ban from public office to be enforced immediately.

As the trial wrapped up, Le Pen told reporters she was still hoping the judges would be convinced by the defence's arguments. She said the trial had no consequences for her stance on Prime Minister Michel Barnier's fragile government, which her party has threatened to topple over the 2025 budget.

(Reporting by Juliette Jabkhiro. Writing by Ingrid Melander. Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta and Mark Potter)