The petition supporting Marine Le Pen, the leader of the parliamentary faction of the French "National Unity" party, who is being investigated for the theft of European Parliament funds, has already received 250,000 signatures.
"The signature collection initiated to support me, which received 250,000 signatures in a few days, is a special peaceful action that allows everyone to express their indignation," Le Pen wrote on the X social network.
The petition is posted on the party's website. It can be signed online. In particular, it says that the legal process is aimed at "discrediting Marine Le Pen and weakening the National Union".
"This is an attempt to stifle the real voice of the opposition," the manifesto says.
At the beginning of November, French prosecutors demanded that Le Pen be sentenced to five years in prison in the case of embezzlement of the funds of the European Parliament. In the meantime, the prosecution is asking that he serve three years of that term on probation, the remaining two with permission to replace the prison sentence by wearing an electronic bracelet or other less severe options to limit his freedom.
In addition, the prosecutor's office requires the politician to pay a fine of 300,000 euros. In the end, the prosecutors believe that Le Pen should be banned from participating in the elections for five years. If this demand is met by the court, in particular, he will not be able to run as a candidate in the 2027 presidential elections.
Le Pen herself stated earlier that she did not violate either the laws of France or the rules of the European Parliament. According to him, the prosecutor's office is trying to destroy his political career.
