A high-stakes trial in France that could derail the presidential ambitions of far-right leader Marine Le Pen is wrapping up.

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.

The trial of French far-right leader Marine Le Pen and other French right-wing nationalists on suspicion of embezzling European funds wound down on Wednesday, with verdicts expected in early 2025. The central accusation in the trial is that Le Pen's National Rally party received money from the European Parliament for parliamentary assistants who were actually working either partly or wholly for the party itself.

Marine Le Pen, leader of France’s far-right National Rally party, will learn in March whether she faces a ban from running in the nation’s next presidential race.Most Read from BloombergIn Traffic-Weary Toronto,