Inside the growing judicial cloud over France's far-right party

Euractiv

5 days ago

France's far-right Rassemblement National (RN) is entering the political summer under a cloud of deepening judicial scrutiny.
From alleged misuse of EU funds to questionable campaign financing, the party aiming for presidency in 2027 faces mounting legal headaches, many of which strike at the heart of its financial and political machinery.
Top figures on the far right, including the party's president and MEP Jordan Bardella, have characterised the various legal proceedings as politically motivated, describing one of the cases as "clear harassment' against the party."
The following is a breakdown of some of the key cases dogging Marine Le Pen's movement – past, pending, and future. At the time of publication, the party and one of its spokespersons did not respond to requests for comment.
Ongoing investigation
Suspect financing in the 2022 election campaigns (France)
French prosecutors raided RN offices on Wednesday as part of an ongoing investigation into the financing of the party's 2022 presidential and legislative campaigns, as well as its 2024 European election run.
The probe started in 2024, after an audit by France's watchdog on political funding raised red flags about RN's financial flows. Prosecutors are looking into whether illegal private loans, inflated or fake invoices, later submitted for state reimbursement, were used to fund the party's campaigns, according to the public prosecutor.
No charges have been filed so far, and all entities and individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
A ruling of illegal campaign financing could undermine RN's efforts to present itself as a credible governing party and gather more financial support in the future. 'It's all meant to intimidate our lenders,' said party treasurer Kevin Pfeffer.
The European Parliament group's money problem (EU)
The European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO), tasked with investigating serious crimes affecting the bloc's financial interests, confirmed on Tuesday that it had launched an investigation into suspected misuse of EU funds, as first reported by Euractiv.
An internal audit by Parliament services triggered the probe after identifying alleged fraudulent use of EU allowances to pay individuals or associations close to RN, yet unrelated to parliamentary work, between 2019 and 2024. As the investigation remains in its early stages, no charges have been filed at this time.
The risks are both reputational and financial, as prosecutors could seek to reclaim over €4.3 million in allegedly misused funds – a serious threat to a party already burdened with debt. Le Pen, who told French radio RTL she was not familiar with the case, said: 'There may be administrative disagreements with the European Parliament,' and 'we are going to try, once again, to solve them."
The parliamentary assistants' case: The high-stakes appeal
This is the most politically damaging case, which began with allegations of fund misuse for parliamentary assistants spotted by the European fraud buster OLAF. It triggered a wide-ranging investigation by France's financial prosecutor in 2016 and
resulted in several convictions in 2025, including a four-year prison sentence and a ban on running for office for Le Pen . If the ruling is upheld, it would block her from the 2027 presidential race. Appeals are ongoing, with a final decision expected by summer 2026.
Le Pen also appealed to the European Court of Human Rights, claiming procedural flaws and political bias, but her complaint was rejected on Wednesday.
Campaign kits: A closed, precedent-setting case
In 2024, the party received definitive condemnations over its use of standardised "campaign kits" sold to candidates during previous elections. Prosecutors deemed the setup a vehicle for illicit financing practices, resulting in final rulings that now weigh heavily on the party's legal legacy.
The case also drew attention to long-time RN ally Frédéric Chatillon. According to an internal audit seen by Euractiv, one of his companies was among those flagged for suspicious payments in the EU's recent parliamentary money probe. The audit does not name him personally. Under the French justice system, repeated offences can lead to harsher potential penalties.
Defamation, hate speech and other cases
The RN and its members are also frequent targets – and sometimes initiators – of defamation suits, and legal complaints related to hate-related offences or misuse of public money, even as Le Pen has been working to clean up the French far right's image.
In June, the spokesperson for the RN and MP Laurent Jacobelli appeared before the Thionville criminal court for having called Macronist MP Belkhir Belhaddad a 'scumbag' in October 2023, after asking him for news about Hamas. Jacobelli acknowledged "clumsy" remarks and said racism was against his philosophy.
In recent weeks, MP Caroline Parmentier, a long-standing close ally of Le Pen, has been in the spotlight for having published, over 30 years, racist, antisemitic and homophobic comments in Présent, a far-right daily associated with Pétain, a collaborationist leader of Vichy France during WWII, and supported a Belgian Nazi. She denied the accusations and said her quotes were taken out of context.
Last May, it was Daniel Grenon, an MP expelled from RN in October 2024 for stating that dual nationals of Maghrebian origins had 'no place in the highest echelons' of the state, was convicted of public insult and incitement to discrimination. Grenon appealed the ruling.
Former MEP Maxette Pirbakas received a suspended one-year prison sentence and a five-year ban from public office for embezzling €57,000 from a Guadeloupe agricultural union. She was convicted of breach of trust, forgery, and using false invoices and appealed the decision, denying wrongdoing. In a separate case, she was ordered to pay over €160,000 in unpaid wages to her assistant. She said she would appeal and denounced a political and partial decision.
Fréjus mayor David Rachline, a former campaign director for Le Pen and a RN vice-president, is set to stand trial in September 2025 for alleged favouritism and corruption. His home was searched by financial authorities in March. He denied all wrongdoing.
Florent de Kersauson, RN regional councillor and former parliamentary candidate, is also facing charges of breach of trust and asset misappropriation. Prosecutors are seeking a two-year suspended and ineligibility sentence, with a verdict due in September.
Nicoletta Ionta contributed to reporting.
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