Less than a year before France’s presidential elections, National Rally (RN) President Jordan Bardella is being investigated over the alleged misuse of European Union funds.
“We have absolutely nothing to reproach ourselves for,” Bardella said yesterday.
“The association behind the complaint is a self-proclaimed far-left organisation, whose aggressive statements leave little doubt as to their intentions,” he added.
RN de facto leader Marine Le Pen today rallied behind Bardella, describing the investigation as a “manoeuvre” designed to “discredit” him at a crucial moment ahead of the 2027 presidential race.
Bardella added that he had already filed a complaint for “slanderous denunciation” several weeks earlier.
If prosecutors were to bring charges and secure a conviction, the affair could seriously damage the French right-wing party’s electoral prospects.
Bardella is currently polling strongly, with surveys placing him at around 35 per cent in the first round, enough to comfortably qualify for the second round of the elections.
The complaint was lodged last December in Paris by anti-corruption group AC!! Anti-Corruption and later transmitted by France’s National Financial Prosecutor’s Office (PNF) to the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) for further assessment.
At the centre of the allegations is the claim that European Union funds were used to finance media training for RN members, including Bardella, during the run-up to the 2022 French presidential election campaign.
The anti-graft association cited reporting by satirical investigative newspaper Le Canard Enchaîné, which alleged that from September 2021 a communications coach had been tasked with preparing Bardella not on European affairs,but specifically for appearances linked to the French presidential campaign.
The investigation adds to the mounting legal pressures facing the RN leadership.
Le Pen is currently appealing a court ruling that found her guilty of embezzlement in a separate case involving EU parliamentary funds.
The investigation also comes at a time when the party is struggling to secure financing from French banks for its presidential campaign.
The National Rally (RN) in France is once again facing the same old difficulties in financing its presidential campaign. https://t.co/JGZd4yLQuM
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) April 17, 2026
