French prosecutors have asked for prison time and a five-year ban from politics for far-right leader Marine Le Pen, potentially derailing her bid to become president in 2027.

France's far-right leader Marine Le Pen has thrown in recent weeks all her energy at a Paris trial into fighting what she calls unfair accusations that her party embezzled European Parliament funds.

French prosecutors have called for Marine Le Pen to serve five years in prison and face an immediate five-year ban from public office over alleged EU funds embezzlement. The demands were made yesterday at a Paris court where Le Pen and 24 other defendants face charges of misusing European Parliament money.