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3w ago

EU Prosecutors Raid Firms Linked to France’s National Rally in Probe of Parliamentary Funds

The searches mark a widening EPPO inquiry that could determine Marine Le Pen’s eligibility for the 2027 presidential race.

French far-right leader and member of parliament Marine Le Pen, President of the French far-right National Rally (Rassemblement National - RN) party parliamentary group, attends the questions to the government session at the National Assembly in Paris, France, June 30, 2026. REUTERS/Alice Sacco
French far-right leader and member of parliament Marine Le Pen, President of the French far-right National Rally (Rassemblement National - RN) party parliamentary group, arrives to attend a religious ceremony to pay tribute to her father late French far-right figure Jean-Marie Le Pen, who died at the age of 96, at the Notre-Dame du Val-de-Grace church in Paris, France, January 16, 2025. REUTERS/Abdul Saboor
Image
Jordan Bardella, French far-right Rassemblement National (RN) party's President, member of the European Parliament and president of the Patriots for Europe (PfE) group speaks to journalists in front of the Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency building in Warsaw, Poland on June 18, 2026. Jordan Bardella is in Warsaw to meet with leaders of Poland's far right, marking the latest stop on his overseas tour aimed at strengthening his European alliances just a few months before the French presidential election. (Photo by Wojtek RADWANSKI / AFP via Getty Images)

Overview

  • Police and judicial teams carried out coordinated searches in France, Belgium, Italy and Spain on Tuesday as part of EPPO investigative measures into a former European Parliament group.
  • The European Public Prosecutor’s Office said it is probing alleged misuse of EU parliamentary funds by the Identity and Democracy group for 2019–2024 after media‑cited audits flagged about €4.3 million in questionable spending.
  • Jordan Bardella said the raids targeted communications contractors who worked for his team, and the National Rally has rejected wrongdoing while accusing prosecutors of political harassment.
  • Marine Le Pen faces a crucial appeal ruling on July 7 that could uphold or lift a five‑year ban from public office and shape whether Bardella becomes the RN’s 2027 presidential candidate.
  • The EPPO action focuses on no‑bid or preferential contracts and the rules governing MEPs’ use of EU funds, a probe that could prolong legal scrutiny of the far right and reshape campaign logistics and messaging during the 2027 contest.