Overview

• The European Public Prosecutor’s Office has opened a formal investigation into the defunct Identity and Democracy group for suspected misuse of €4.3 million in European Parliament funds.
• No individuals have been charged at this stage as prosecutors review evidence covering the 2019–2024 parliamentary term.
• A confidential parliamentary audit uncovered inflated and fictitious contracts alongside breaches of procurement rules and payments for non-parliamentary activities.
• Reports indicate that a substantial share of the funds flowed to companies linked to former adviser Frédéric Chatillon and his wife Sighild Blanc.
• Jordan Bardella’s Patriots for Europe successor grouping has denounced the inquiry as harassment while Marine Le Pen continues to appeal her separate embezzlement conviction.