French police have launched investigations into the National Rally (RN) party, sparking outrage among its leaders. Jordan Bardella, the party's young president, characterized the police raid as a "spectacular and unprecedented operation,” accusing authorities of conducting a "harassment campaign" against the party. The Paris prosecutors are probing potential fraud against political figures, focusing on suspected financial misconduct during the 2022 presidential and parliamentary elections as well as the upcoming 2024 European elections.
Former treasurer Wallerand de Saint-Just defended RN against these allegations, asserting that all campaign finances had been audited and approved. He condemned the police's actions as unacceptable and labeled the party's treatment as daily persecution. Despite various legal challenges, the National Rally remains prominent in opinion polls, with Bardella recognized as one of France’s most popular political figures.
The controversy traces back to Marine Le Pen, the party's leader, who recently lost an appeal against a conviction related to embezzling European Union funds, barring her from political candidacy for five years. Although absent during the raid—attending a European Parliament session in Strasbourg—Bardella reported that police seized internal documents from his office. Meanwhile, simultaneous raids were conducted on several companies involved in the investigation.
Authorities are scrutinizing whether the party benefitted from unauthorized funding, including loans from foreign banks, due to difficulties securing local financing. Additionally, the European Union public prosecutor's office has initiated a new inquiry into the party's previous affiliation with the now-dissolved Identity and Democracy group, suspected of misusing parliamentary resources. Bardella denounced this as another aspect of harassment perpetrated by the European Parliament against RN.
