The European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) has escalated its investigation into the now-defunct Identity and Democracy (ID) group, conducting a fresh wave of raids across France, Spain, Italy, and Belgium this week. The probe centers on allegations that the far-right parliamentary group misused €4.3 million in European Union funds between 2019 and 2024.
Prosecutors are examining whether the group violated public tender rules when awarding contracts and whether it made irregular donations using taxpayer money. The ID group, which once included parties such as Marine Le Pen's Rassemblement National and Matteo Salvini's Lega, has since been dissolved and rebranded as the Patriots for Europe coalition. That new formation, now the third-largest force in the European Parliament, is led by Jordan Bardella, Le Pen's protégé and president of the Rassemblement National.
A Paper Trail That Survives Rebranding
Despite the name change, the financial records remain under scrutiny. EPPO investigators are searching the offices and homes of communication providers that worked with the old ID group. The timing is particularly awkward for Bardella and his party. Last year, when the investigation was first announced, Bardella dismissed it as "a new harassment operation" by Brussels elites.
The legal pressure is mounting on multiple fronts. Next week, a Paris court will decide whether to uphold a five-year ban from public office against Marine Le Pen, who is accused of embezzling public funds. If the ban is confirmed, Bardella is widely expected to succeed her as the party's presidential candidate. The Rassemblement National has built its political identity on opposing what it calls a distant, unaccountable EU bureaucracy, but these legal challenges threaten to undermine that narrative.
The EPPO, established in 2021, has increasingly targeted fraud involving EU funds. Its investigators operate across participating member states, coordinating searches and seizures. The current operation underscores the office's growing reach and willingness to pursue cases against political groups, regardless of their ideological alignment.
For the Rassemblement National, the stakes are existential. The party has enjoyed a surge in popularity, positioning itself as the voice of ordinary French citizens against globalist institutions. Yet the EPPO investigation and Le Pen's legal troubles risk tarnishing that image. Bardella, at 28, has been careful to project a more polished, media-savvy persona than his mentor, but he cannot escape the paper trail left by the ID group.
Meanwhile, broader European political dynamics are shifting. The Patriots for Europe coalition now includes parties from several member states, and its influence in the European Parliament is growing. The EPPO's actions may be seen by some as a necessary check on financial misconduct, but by others as political interference. The outcome of the investigation could have ripple effects across the continent, particularly as far-right parties gain ground in countries like Italy, the Netherlands, and Germany.
As the legal proceedings unfold, the question remains: will the Rassemblement National maintain its momentum, or will these allegations erode public trust? For now, the party's leadership is banking on its base's skepticism of EU institutions to weather the storm. But the evidence gathered by EPPO may prove harder to dismiss than political rhetoric.
