EU anti-fraud office weighs probe into top far-right Patriots official – POLITICO

STRASBOURG — The European anti-fraud watchdog is considering opening an investigation into the secretary-general of the far-right Patriots for Europe group over the alleged misuse of €4 million of European Parliament funds, according to a spokesperson for the office. 

In summer 2025, the Parliament’s finance department found that the now-defunct Identity and Democracy group — then home to Marine Le Pen’s National Rally, Santiago Abascal’s Vox, and Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš’ ANO party — had misspent some €4.3 million between 2019 and 2024. This triggered a criminal investigation by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, which is ongoing. The ID group was accused of breaching public tender rules when awarding contracts for advertisements, community management and printing services.

After the 2024 European election, the ID group disbanded, with a majority of its members and staff absorbed into the new Patriots for Europe group.