On a Wednesday morning, prosecutors from the European Public Prosecutor's Office entered offices tied to the Patriots for Europe group in Brussels and Strasbourg, following a trail that leads back to the former Identity and Democracy group and to money that auditors say was misspent during the last parliamentary term. It is one more chapter in a long human struggle to keep public funds honest, and it arrives in a Parliament where political families are built from fragile alliances and shared distrust. What the investigation will ultimately reveal, and who will bear responsibility, remains for
EU Prosecutors Search Offices of Far-Right Patriots for Europe Group in Funding Probe
No legal continuity, the group says, though the parties are largely the same
Mark
Why does a search at Parliament offices matter if nobody has been charged?
Mimi
Because it shows the funding inquiry is active. EPPO handles crimes against the EU budget, and it moved on premises in France and Belgium, including offices in Brussels and Strasbourg.
Luke
But EPPO never named the group. What's actually confirmed?
Mimi
That it searched sites as part of an investigation into a former Parliament group's use of EU funds. The link to ID comes from PfE's statement, which says it only appears the searches are connected.
Luke
So the ID connection is PfE's reading, not a prosecutor's statement.
Mimi
Right, though National Rally's Jean-Paul Garraud said the offices belonged to staff of the former ID group.
Mark
PfE says there's no legal continuity. Does that settle it?
Luke
It's PfE's claim, and a legal one. Its member parties are largely the same as ID's, minus the AfD, but whether that matters legally isn't something the reporting answers.
Mimi
The €4.3 million figure comes from Parliament's own auditors, covering 2019 to 2024. They said it went to companies close to the group and to anti-abortion associations.
Luke
That's an audit finding, not a court ruling. And nothing says this EPPO probe will reach the same conclusions.
Mark
And what comes next?
Mimi
EPPO says it will release nothing more for now, so the group involved and any charges remain unconfirmed.
O Pulso
- Investigators walked into European Parliament buildings in Brussels and Strasbourg, and the chamber's third-largest group found itself at the center of a raid.
- Auditors have already flagged at least €4.3 million in misused EU funds, and the trail now runs toward the former ID group's staff and offices.
- Patriots for Europe insists it has no legal continuity with ID, even as several of the same parties sit in both groups.
- EPPO is keeping its cards close, withholding names and details to protect the probe, which leaves charges and identities unconfirmed.
- The story is now waiting in silence, with every next move dependent on what prosecutors choose to reveal.
On a Wednesday morning, prosecutors from the European Public Prosecutor's Office entered offices tied to the Patriots for Europe group in Brussels and Strasbourg, following a trail that leads back to the former Identity and Democracy group and to money that auditors say was misspent during the last parliamentary term. It is one more chapter in a long human struggle to keep public funds honest, and it arrives in a Parliament where political families are built from fragile alliances and shared distrust. What the investigation will ultimately reveal, and who will bear responsibility, remains for the inquiry to decide, and for now the record rests on what has been said and what has been withheld.
On Wednesday morning, investigators from the European Public Prosecutor's Office searched buildings of the European Parliament in Brussels and Strasbourg. The Patriots for Europe group, the chamber's third-largest alliance, said its administrative offices were among those entered.
EPPO, the independent body that pursues crimes against the EU budget, confirmed searches in France and Belgium in an ongoing investigation into how a former parliamentary group spent EU money. It did not name the group and said it would publish nothing further for now, to protect the inquiry.
Patriots for Europe said the searches appeared linked to a complaint against the Identity and Democracy group, which dissolved in 2024. It stressed there is "no legal continuity" between the two and that it is not involved. Yet the distance is hard to sustain: National Rally, Austria's Freedom Party and Italy's Lega sit in both, while Germany's AfD, once central to ID, was left out.
The funding question dates back to last year, when auditors found at least €4.3 million misused by ID members between 2019 and 2024, with money reaching companies close to the group and associations backing anti-abortion campaigns. ID's collapse had come amid bitter infighting over its lead candidate, Maximilian Krah, whose aides later faced serious accusations, including a conviction for spying for China.
For now, the picture rests on PfE's account and EPPO's silence. Who is responsible, and whether anyone will face charges, remains unanswered.
On Wednesday morning, investigators from the European Public Prosecutor's Office carried out searches at the European Parliament's buildings in Brussels and Strasbourg. The Patriots for Europe group, the third-largest alliance of parties in the chamber, said they had entered "administrative offices" in both cities.
EPPO is the independent body that investigates and prosecutes crimes against the EU budget, such as corruption and the misuse of EU funds. It confirmed that it had searched premises in France and Belgium as part of an ongoing investigation into how a former European Parliament group used EU money. It did not name the group. It also said it would publish no further details for now, out of concern for compromising the inquiry.
Patriots for Europe, usually shortened to PfE, filled in the picture. In a statement, it said the searches appeared to be linked to a complaint lodged against the Identity and Democracy group, known as ID, which dissolved in 2024. The group stressed that there is "no legal continuity" between ID and PfE and that it is not involved in the investigations. Jean-Paul Garraud, a French member of the European Parliament for the National Rally, said the offices targeted were those of staff members of the former ID group.
The distance PfE is claiming is complicated by who sits in it. The group formed after the 2024 European elections out of the remains of ID, gaining and losing some members. National Rally, Austria's Freedom Party and Italy's Lega are in both. The notable exception is Germany's Alternative for Germany, which was not invited to join.
The funding question itself dates back some time. Last year, European Parliament auditors concluded that ID members had misused at least €4.3 million, roughly $4.8 million, in EU funds during the 2019 to 2024 term. According to their report, the money went to companies close to the group and to associations supporting anti-abortion campaigners. The case is reminiscent of, but separate from, the conviction of National Rally leader Marine Le Pen, a former MEP, which for a time looked set to derail her bid for the French presidency.
ID lasted a single term. Besides National Rally, the AfD, the Freedom Party and Lega, it had other members. It collapsed amid friction during the 2024 campaign, in large part over dissatisfaction with its lead candidate, the AfD's Maximilian Krah. The complaints ranged from controversial remarks about Nazi Germany to allegations that close allies of his were tied to Russian and Chinese influence efforts. One of Krah's aides has since been convicted of spying for China.
The parliamentary arithmetic shows how much the groups matter. PfE holds 85 of the chamber's 719 seats, a distant third behind the center-right European People's Party with 184 and the center-left Socialists and Democrats with 135. The Parliament relies heavily on these groupings, which bring together parties from different member states with broadly similar politics. The AfD went on to lead a much smaller far-right group, Europe of Sovereign Nations, with 27 seats, 15 of them held by AfD members.
For now, the main points rest on PfE's account and EPPO's silence. The prosecutors have not said which group is involved or whether anyone faces charges, and they have indicated that further details will wait.
Citações Notáveis
The Patriots for Europe Group emphasizes that there is no legal continuity with the ID Group and that it is not involved in the ongoing investigations.— Patriots for Europe statement
The offices of staff members of the former Identity and Democracy group were targeted.— Jean-Paul Garraud, French National Rally MEP
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