Investigators raided four countries in probe with links to far-right party
Investigators working with the European Public Prosecutor’s Office have carried out coordinated raids in France, Belgium, Italy and Spain on Tuesday as part of a probe into the alleged, historical misuse of EU funds by the far right.
The investigation into the use of €4.3 million by the former Identity and Democracy group includes the Rassemblement National (RN), or National Rally, at a highly sensitive moment in French history politics as campaigning gears ups ahead presidential elections next April.
A spokesperson for the EPPO confirmed, as first reported by Le Monde, that it was “conducting investigative measures in France and other European countries as part of an ongoing investigation into the use of European funds by a former political group in the European Parliament between 2019 and 2024”.
Jordan Bardella, president of the RN, said in a post on X that the raids had targeted the offices and personal houses of people working for a communications company linked to the party, and suggested the investigation was politically motivated.
