French financial police carried out a raid on the Rassemblement National’s (RN) headquarters in Paris on Wednesday morning as part of an ongoing investigation into political campaign financing. The party’s president, Jordan Bardella, denounced the move as “a new operation of harassment” and a “serious attack on democratic pluralism.”
Around twenty armed officers from the financial crimes unit, accompanied by two investigating judges, began the search at 8:50 a.m. Bardella said all emails, documents, and accounting records from the RN—the leading opposition force in France—were seized, though the exact grounds for the operation remain unclear.
In addition to the party offices, the homes and business premises of RN-linked individuals were also searched. According to the Paris prosecutor, the probe concerns possible fraud against a public body and the habitual granting of personal loans to a political party—activities connected to the RN’s 2022 presidential and legislative campaigns, as well as the 2024 European elections.
Investigators are also examining alleged overbilling and fictitious services potentially included in state reimbursement claims. The inquiry, opened in July 2024, has not yet resulted in any formal charges. Bardella remains defiant, accusing authorities of political targeting.
