The headquarters of the French right-wing National Rally party were raided by French police in a high-profile operation described by its leader, Jordan Bardella, as a ‘harassment operation.’
The search, carried out by around twenty police officers from the Financial Brigade, targeted the party’s offices and sought to seize emails, documents, and accounting records related to its electoral activities. The operation comes amid ongoing investigations into allegations of illegal financing of Marine Le Pen’s 2022 presidential campaign and other political efforts, including accusations of fraud, money laundering, and forgery.
Prosecutors have opened a judicial inquiry into these allegations, which include claims that the National Rally overbilled for services to artificially inflate state aid for its campaigns. The Paris prosecutor’s office stated that the raids were part of a judicial inquiry launched a year ago, which also examines whether the party overbilled for services to siphon state aid for its electoral activities.
The raid marks a significant escalation in the legal pressures facing the party, which has already faced consequences for past embezzlement convictions. Marine Le Pen was previously found guilty of embezzlement, leading to her ban from running for office in the 2027 presidential election. Her supporters have denied any wrongdoing, with former party treasurer Wallerand de Saint-Just stating, ‘We did nothing wrong.’ These developments have intensified political tensions within France, with the National Rally accusing the government of targeting the opposition through legal means.
The broader implications of these raids could have a lasting impact on the party’s political operations and its relationship with the government, potentially altering the political landscape of France in the coming months and years.