The National Rally, France's far-right party, faces a police raid linked to potential breaches of campaign finance laws, as its president condemns the actions as politically motivated harassment.**
French Authorities Conduct Raids on National Rally Amid Financial Scrutiny**
French Authorities Conduct Raids on National Rally Amid Financial Scrutiny**
Investigations into campaign finance irregularities spur accusations of political targeting from opposition party leaders.**
The police raided the National Rally party's headquarters in Paris on Wednesday as part of an investigation centered on campaign financing, according to statements from the Paris prosecutor’s office. This probe, initiated in July 2024, seeks to determine if the far-right party, which advocates nationalistic and anti-immigrant policies, violated financial regulations pertaining to campaign funding.
Jordan Bardella, president of the National Rally, has publicly rebuked the authorities for what he describes as a harassment tactic, suggesting that the raid threatens "pluralism and democratic change" within the political landscape. Approximately 20 armed officers from the specialized financial brigade executed the operation, which was overseen by two investigative judges, reflecting the seriousness of the allegations.
“The raid resulted in the seizure of all emails, documents, and financial records belonging to the leading opposition party, without clarity on the specific allegations at this stage,” Bardella expressed on social media platform X, denouncing the extent of the police actions as unprecedented against an opposition party in the Fifth Republic.
The National Rally now holds the title of the largest opposition party in France’s lower house of Parliament following recent snap elections, with Marine Le Pen, the former party leader, having previously contested against President Emmanuel Macron in two presidential races without success.
The Paris prosecutor's office indicated that their investigation stemmed from multiple alerts regarding the expenses of the National Rally's campaigns throughout the 2022 presidential election, additional legislative races, and the 2024 European Parliament campaign. It remains uncertain who provided these warnings.
Key points of the investigation include whether illegal loans from private individuals financed these campaigns or if there were instances of inflated and fabricated invoices for campaign expenses. While French law permits political parties to secure private loans, this practice is heavily regulated and monitored to prevent abuse.
