Jordan Bardella (right), leader of the National Rally (RN), a far-right French party, Member of the European Parliament and chair of the ‘Patriots for Europe ’, takes part in a joint press conference with the leader of the main right-wing opposition party, Law and Justice (PiS), at the party’s headquarters in Warsaw on 19 June 2026. © Wojtek Radwanski, AFP

France's National Rally targeted as part of Europe-wide raids over alleged far-right embezzlement

· France 24

Searches are currently under way “in France and other European countries” following suspicions of the misappropriation of European funds by the now-defunct Identity and Democracy (ID) group of MEPs, of which France's far-right National Rally (RN) was a member, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) said on Tuesday, confirming a report in French daily Le Monde.

The EPPO said it was "carrying out investigative measures in France and other European countries as part of an ongoing investigation into the use of EU funds by a former political group of the European Parliament between 2019 and 2024."

The ID group contained MEPs from a range of Eurosceptic parties including France's RN, Italy's League and the Alternative for Germany.

"Since early this morning, searches have been underway at the offices and private homes of communications service providers who have worked with us," RN president Jordan Bardella said on X.

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The EU's prosecutor announced formal investigations in July last year after media quoted a parliamentary report as saying said ID was suspected of improperly spending 4.3 million euros ($5 million) between 2019 and 2024.

ID was formally disbanded after elections in 2024 and was succeeded by the Patriots for Europe group. Bardella, who heads the Patriots group, last year said the probe represented a "new harassment operation by the European Parliament".

The RN is eyeing its best chance yet of winning the presidency in France next year, with polls suggesting it will have a commanding lead in the first round of voting.

But three-time RN presidential candidate Marine Le Pen may have to quit the race, and let Bardella run instead, if a Paris court next week upholds a five-year ban from running for public office in a separate case related to an alleged fake jobs scam in the EU parliament from 2004 to 2016.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)