Key facts
- France's far-right National Rally is under investigation for alleged misuse of EU funds.
- Party President Jordan Bardella faces fraud allegations similar to those against Marine Le Pen.
- Raids were connected to a probe into the defunct Identity and Democracy group's alleged misuse of taxpayer funds when Bardella was vice-president.
- The group reportedly breached spending rules by at least €4.3 million.
- Bardella also faces scrutiny over alleged misuse of funds by the Patriots group and media training sessions.
France's far-right National Rally is facing a growing list of investigations into alleged financial misconduct, potentially complicating its presidential ambitions for 2027.
Police raids on Tuesday are connected to a European Public Prosecutor’s Office investigation into whether the now-defunct Identity and Democracy group misused taxpayer funds when National Rally President Jordan Bardella served as its vice-president. POLITICO reported last year that the group breached spending rules by at least €4.3 million, according to a confidential audit.
Bardella is also facing scrutiny over alleged misuse of €276,967 in EU funds by the Patriots group, which he leads in the European Parliament. Furthermore, European prosecutors launched an investigation in May into alleged misappropriation of EU funds linked to media training sessions for Bardella ahead of the 2022 presidential election. French authorities are also expected to open an inquiry into alleged fake documents submitted by Bardella in 2015.
Despite the legal challenges, recent surveys suggest Bardella could reach the presidential runoff, and pollster Mathieu Gallard noted that French voters are accustomed to fraud scandals and tend to vote for the National Rally based on its stances on immigration, identity, and security rather than party probity.
Bardella and other party officials have accused European prosecutors of acting with political motives. Marine Le Pen, who is appealing her own conviction, questioned the timing of the raids just a week before her verdict is due, suggesting it was not a coincidence. However, if the investigations persist and become a central theme in the presidential election, they could deter traditional conservative voters attracted to the National Rally's message.