Europees Openbaar Ministerie onderzoekt mogelijke fraude bij Rassemblement National door partijleider Jordan Bardella

The European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) has initiated an investigation into the French far-right party Rassemblement National (RN) over allegations of financial irregularities. The probe centers on claims that party leader Jordan Bardella, 30, may have misused European funds intended for party activities. Specifically, the investigation is looking into whether these funds were diverted to finance media training sessions for Bardella and other RN members in the lead-up to the 2022 French presidential elections.

The investigation was reportedly triggered by a complaint filed by a French anti-corruption group, which was itself based on an investigative report published in the weekly newspaper Le Canard enchaîné. According to the report, a media trainer received €133,300 between 2019 and 2021. While officially stated as assistance to help RN party members "improve their communication on European affairs," the newspaper alleges the funds were actually used to prepare them for the domestic election campaign.

Rassemblement National has vehemently denied these accusations. The party maintains that any media trainer hired was engaged in compliance with the rules of the European Parliament. They assert that sessions were held with various RN MEPs, including Bardella, between 2019 and 2024, but were interrupted due to the start of the 2022 presidential elections. The party's stance is that the training was legitimate and within the established regulations.

This investigation casts a shadow over the RN, particularly as Jordan Bardella took over the party leadership from Marine Le Pen in 2022. Le Pen herself has faced legal scrutiny, having been convicted of fraud related to European funds in 2022. The ongoing EPPO investigation adds another layer of complexity to the RN's political landscape, especially concerning the management and use of European parliamentary funds.