The EU’s prosecutor said Tuesday it has launched a formal investigation into a defunct far-right group, which included France’s National Rally party, over the alleged misuse of European Parliament funds.
Media outlets reported this month that a parliamentary report said the far-right Identity and Democracy (ID) political grouping, which was disbanded last year, was suspected of improperly spending €4.3 million between 2019 and 2024.
The ID group contained MEPs from a range of eurosceptic parties including the National Rally of Marine Le Pen, the longtime standard bearer of the French far right, Italy’s League and the Alternative for Germany.
According to the reports by a consortium of European media, the bulk of the allegedly misused funds benefitted companies belonging to a former adviser to Le Pen and his wife.
“The European Public Prosecutor’s Office has opened an investigation,” a spokesperson for the agency, which probes financial crimes against the bloc, said.
The European Parliament said it “takes note of the decision” by the prosecutors to open the probe, first reported by Euractiv on Tuesday.
“As always, parliament cooperates fully with national or European authorities if requested so,” the parliament said.
ID was formally disbanded after elections last year and was succeeded by a new grouping Patriots for Europe.
Le Pen ally Jordan Bardella, who now heads the Patriots group, said the probe represented a “new harassment operation by the European Parliament”.
The investigation comes after Le Pen suffered a stunning blow in March when a French court convicted her and other party officials over an EU parliament fake jobs scam.
Read moreTop French court rules political bans are legal, delivering blow to Le Pen
The ruling, which Le Pen has appealed, banned her from standing for office for five years, which would scupper her ambition of taking part in the 2027 presidential vote.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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