EU Opens Fraud Probe Into Disbanded Far-Right European Parliament Group

The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) has launched an investigation into allegations that the now-defunct far-right European Parliament group Identity and Democracy (ID) misappropriated millions in EU funds between 2019 and 2024.

It was reported by AFP. The case threatens to further tarnish the reputations of far-right parties in Germany and France that remain active in Brussels.

Allegations of Misuse of €4.3 Million

An internal audit reported last week by multiple European media outlets suggests that the ID group is suspected of misusing €4.3 million in public funds that were intended to support its Members of the European Parliament (MEPs).

The alleged scheme involved channeling EU money to companies closely linked to politicians from Germany’s Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) and France’s Rassemblement National (National Rally).

The EPPO confirmed on Tuesday that it had “launched an investigation” into the matter but declined to reveal details about its scope or potential targets.

Earlier, Zeit and Le Monde, in a joint investigation, found that Identity and Democracy paid money from the European Parliament’s budget fund to companies close to politicians from the Alternative for Germany and the French National Rally.

European Parliament Response

A spokesperson for the European Parliament said the institution had “taken note of the decision” by the EPPO and would cooperate fully with the investigation if requested. The Parliament’s internal audit department had already flagged irregularities in spending before the group’s dissolution last year.

It remains unclear whether the probe will result in legal consequences for the AfD and National Rally, whose members now sit in different political groups but continue to hold influence in the European legislature.

Previous Cases Against Far-Right Figures

This is not the first time EU fund misuse has plagued high-profile far-right politicians. In late March, French courts found more than two dozen former MEPs and staffers from the National Rally—including party leader Marine Le Pen—guilty in a similar case involving fraudulent employment of parliamentary assistants.

The verdict in France led to significant political fallout ahead of European elections.

The new EU-wide investigation could have broader implications, potentially leading to stricter oversight of parliamentary group funding and the use of EU taxpayer money.