EU financial prosecutors have opened a formal investigation into alleged misuse of 4.3 million euros of European Parliament funds by Identity and Democracy – a now-defunct far-right group that included Marine Le Pen's National Rally party.
Issued on: 09/07/2025 - RFI
\Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella of France's far-right National Rally – one of the parties allegedly involved in the misuse of EU funds as part of the now-disbanded Identity and Democracy group. © Thibaud Moritz / AFP
Media outlets in several countries reported last week that a draft audit by the European Parliament had found that parties linked to the far-right Identity and Democracy (ID) group had performed improper procurement procedures and had given donations to non-parliamentary activities.
The report said ID was suspected of improperly spending 4.3 million euros between 2019 and 2024.
The ID group contained MEPs from a range of eurosceptic parties including the National Rally of Marine Le Pen – the longtime standard bearer of the French far right – Italy's League and the Alternative for Germany.
According to the reports by a consortium of European media, the bulk of the allegedly misused funds benefited companies belonging to Frédéric Chatillon, a former advisor to Le Pen, and his wife Sighild Blanc.
"The European Public Prosecutor's Office has opened an investigation," a spokesperson for the agency, which probes financial crimes against the bloc, said.
The European Parliament said it "takes note of the decision" by the prosecutors to open the probe, first reported by Euractiv on Tuesday.
"As always, parliament cooperates fully with national or European authorities if requested so," the parliament said.
Fake jobs scam
The Identity and Democracy grouping was unveiled by French politician Le Pen in 2019, uniting eurosceptics from across the continent who aimed to devolve power from Brussels back to capitals. It was formally disbanded after elections last year and was succeeded by a new grouping Patriots for Europe.
Jordan Bardella, who now heads the Patriots group, said the probe represented a "new harassment operation by the European Parliament".
The EU investigation comes after Le Pen suffered a blow in March when a French court convicted her and other party officials over an EU parliament fake jobs scam.
'We are the future': European far right makes show of force
The ruling, which Le Pen has appealed, banned her from standing for office for five years, effectively ruling her out of running in the 2027 presidential vote.
(with newswires)
Media outlets in several countries reported last week that a draft audit by the European Parliament had found that parties linked to the far-right Identity and Democracy (ID) group had performed improper procurement procedures and had given donations to non-parliamentary activities.
The report said ID was suspected of improperly spending 4.3 million euros between 2019 and 2024.
The ID group contained MEPs from a range of eurosceptic parties including the National Rally of Marine Le Pen – the longtime standard bearer of the French far right – Italy's League and the Alternative for Germany.
According to the reports by a consortium of European media, the bulk of the allegedly misused funds benefited companies belonging to Frédéric Chatillon, a former advisor to Le Pen, and his wife Sighild Blanc.
"The European Public Prosecutor's Office has opened an investigation," a spokesperson for the agency, which probes financial crimes against the bloc, said.
The European Parliament said it "takes note of the decision" by the prosecutors to open the probe, first reported by Euractiv on Tuesday.
"As always, parliament cooperates fully with national or European authorities if requested so," the parliament said.
Fake jobs scam
The Identity and Democracy grouping was unveiled by French politician Le Pen in 2019, uniting eurosceptics from across the continent who aimed to devolve power from Brussels back to capitals. It was formally disbanded after elections last year and was succeeded by a new grouping Patriots for Europe.
Jordan Bardella, who now heads the Patriots group, said the probe represented a "new harassment operation by the European Parliament".
The EU investigation comes after Le Pen suffered a blow in March when a French court convicted her and other party officials over an EU parliament fake jobs scam.
'We are the future': European far right makes show of force
The ruling, which Le Pen has appealed, banned her from standing for office for five years, effectively ruling her out of running in the 2027 presidential vote.
(with newswires)
France’s far-right RN under investigation for misuse of campaign funds
Issued on: 09/07/2025 -
French police have raided the headquarters of the far-right National Rally (RN) as part of an investigation into the misuse of public campaign funds. The probe centres on allegations of inflated invoices and irregular financing linked to recent elections, including the 2022 presidential and 2024 European campaigns. Party leader Jordan Bardella denounced the inquiry as political harassment.
French police raid HQ of far-right National Rally party in campaign financing probe
Police seized documents from the far-right National Rally party's headquarters Wednesday, a raid prosecutors said was linked to a probe into alleged illegal campaign financing.
Issued on: 09/07/2025 -
By: FRANCE 24
Police seized documents from the far-right National Rally party's headquarters Wednesday, a raid prosecutors said was linked to a probe into alleged illegal campaign financing.
Issued on: 09/07/2025 -
By: FRANCE 24
French's National Rally President Jordan Bardella attends a briefing for the Patriots for Europe Group at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, on July 8, 2025. © Jean-Christophe Verhaegen, AFP
French police raided Marine Le Pen's National Rally (RN) headquarters on Wednesday over alleged campaign finance violations and fraud, prompting its president Jordan Bardella to decry a "new harassment campaign" against the far-right party.
The raid represents a fresh blow for the RN after Le Pen was convicted in March of embezzling EU funds and barred from running in the 2027 election. The RN has become France's largest single parliamentary party, but still remains toxic for many due to its history of anti-Semitism and racism.
Bardella broke the news of Wednesday's raid on X.
"Since 8:50 this morning, the headquarters of the National Rally, including the offices of its leaders, have been subjected to a raid conducted by approximately twenty police officers ... accompanied by two investigating judges," Bardella wrote.
The Paris prosecutor's office confirmed the searches, which it said related to a probe into an unnamed person opened last week following several reports from institutional sources. It said searches were carried out at the RN's headquarters, as well as at the head offices of several unnamed companies and at the homes of those companies' executives.
The probe involves acts that may constitute fraud against a public figure, loans exceeding campaign-finance regulations, regular loans made to a political party and the party's acceptance of them, regular loans made to a candidate during a campaign and the candidate's acceptance of them, aggravated laundering of fraud, forgery and use of forged documents between 2020 and 2024, Paris prosecutors said.
French police raided Marine Le Pen's National Rally (RN) headquarters on Wednesday over alleged campaign finance violations and fraud, prompting its president Jordan Bardella to decry a "new harassment campaign" against the far-right party.
The raid represents a fresh blow for the RN after Le Pen was convicted in March of embezzling EU funds and barred from running in the 2027 election. The RN has become France's largest single parliamentary party, but still remains toxic for many due to its history of anti-Semitism and racism.
Bardella broke the news of Wednesday's raid on X.
"Since 8:50 this morning, the headquarters of the National Rally, including the offices of its leaders, have been subjected to a raid conducted by approximately twenty police officers ... accompanied by two investigating judges," Bardella wrote.
The Paris prosecutor's office confirmed the searches, which it said related to a probe into an unnamed person opened last week following several reports from institutional sources. It said searches were carried out at the RN's headquarters, as well as at the head offices of several unnamed companies and at the homes of those companies' executives.
The probe involves acts that may constitute fraud against a public figure, loans exceeding campaign-finance regulations, regular loans made to a political party and the party's acceptance of them, regular loans made to a candidate during a campaign and the candidate's acceptance of them, aggravated laundering of fraud, forgery and use of forged documents between 2020 and 2024, Paris prosecutors said.
The alleged violations were related to the financing of campaigns during the 2022 presidential, 2022 legislative and 2024 European campaigns, the office said. No person or legal entity has been charged in the probe and the investigation is still ongoing, the office said.
Though the once-taboo RN has managed to improve its reputation, it has struggled to shrug off accusations of financial impropriety during its rise from a scrappy fringe outsider to one of France's most powerful parties.
In a separate probe, EU financial prosecutors said Tuesday they had opened an investigation into alleged misuse of €4.3 million ($5.04 million) by Identity and Democracy, a now-defunct far-right European Parliament bloc that included the RN.
Le Pen aims to get her March conviction overturned so that she can run in the 2027 election, her fourth attempt at top office, but Bardella has said he will run if she cannot.
(FRANCE 24 with Reuters and AFP)
Though the once-taboo RN has managed to improve its reputation, it has struggled to shrug off accusations of financial impropriety during its rise from a scrappy fringe outsider to one of France's most powerful parties.
In a separate probe, EU financial prosecutors said Tuesday they had opened an investigation into alleged misuse of €4.3 million ($5.04 million) by Identity and Democracy, a now-defunct far-right European Parliament bloc that included the RN.
Le Pen aims to get her March conviction overturned so that she can run in the 2027 election, her fourth attempt at top office, but Bardella has said he will run if she cannot.
(FRANCE 24 with Reuters and AFP)
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