European Parliament searches offices of Patriots staff — Politico Europe
In Strasbourg, France, officials acting on behalf of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office conducted searches on Wednesday morning in the offices of staff members of the far-right Patriots group in the European Parliament. The investigative actions took place as part of an investigation into the possible improper use of funds by the former parliamentary group Identity and Democracy, Politico Europe reports.
Investigation into ID funds
In 2025, the European Parliament’s financial department concluded that Identity and Democracy had improperly spent €4.3 million between 2019 and 2024. This concerns irregular donations and violations in the conduct of tenders. Based on European Parliament reports, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, which investigates crimes against the EU budget, opened proceedings.
According to two officials who spoke on condition of anonymity, the searches took place in the offices of the group’s secretariat. Jean-Paul Garraud, head of the French National Rally party in the European Parliament, said that the investigative actions targeted the offices of staff members of the former Identity and Democracy group.
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Patriots’ position
Identity and Democracy ceased to exist in 2024. After that, many of its staff members moved to Patriots, as did lawmakers from France’s National Rally, the Freedom Party of Austria, Hungary’s Fidesz, Spain’s Vox, Belgium’s Vlaams Belang, and the Czech ANO 2011.
Patriots said that the group has no legal succession from Identity and Democracy and is not involved in the current investigation. The European Public Prosecutor’s Office is examining whether ID made irregular donations to regional organizations in several EU countries and whether it violated tender rules in contracts with companies friendly to the group.
Separately, in 2025, the European Parliament’s financial department ordered Patriots to repay €276,967 in EU funds that, in the department’s assessment, the group improperly used in the second half of 2024 due to similar violations of tender procedures. A European Parliament spokesperson said that the institution is cooperating with the competent authorities.
