EU far-right Patriots engulfed in legal battles over funding headwinds
Europe’s far-right Patriots for Europe is engaged in legal action over the European Parliament’s accusation that it misused funds, as well as a battle to have withheld public funds returned.
The Patriots for Europe, formerly the Identity and Democracy Party, surged to the third-largest group in the Parliament following the European election held last year, with 85 MEPs.
The party, chaired by Marine Le Pen’s right-hand man, Jordan Bardella of France’s National Rally, was established by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban with a focus on controlling immigration.
The Patriots have been in a headlock with many of the pro-EU party groups, who have maintained a ‘cordon sanitaire’, a form of political exclusion, to limit the Patriots’ influence.
One of the ongoing issues the party has stems from the Authority for Political Parties and Political Foundations (APPF), the EU party watchdog, sanctioning the party after it incorrectly listed one of its lawmakers as part of its board, which was cited as evidence that the group had lied in its entry to the authority’s register.
The party was also required to pay a €47,000 (£40,600) fine.
The measure ARRF took led to a serious offence, which can potentially result in all public funding for the party being withheld. According to Politico, the European Parliament cut the Patriots off from accessing €4m (£3.4m) of EU funding in 2023 as a result of the watchdog’s move.
However, the European Court of Justice sided with the political party last Wednesday, after annulling the sanction imposed by the APPF.
Following this ruling, the APPF said it “remains committed to protecting the integrity of European democracy” in accordance with its obligations under EU law.
Ongoing funding rows
In July, the party also accused the Parliament Bureau, a body that oversees rules, of bias and a lack of impartiality after it ruled that the Patriots had misused funds in a campaign in Czechia.
The Bureau, which consists of the Parliament president, vice-presidents, and MEPs, ruled that the Patriots should pay for their 2023 campaign in the Czech Republic with their own funds and return the EU funds spent on it, which amounted to €228,000 (£197,000).
In a letter seen by Politico, the Patriots accuse the decision of violating “the principles of equal treatment and non-discrimination, as it deemed similar campaigns by other parties to be reimbursable”.
The party also addressed the Bureau, arguing that the decision was not impartial as it is composed mostly of centre-right, liberal, and left-wing lawmakers.
Politico said the Parliament refused to comment on the ongoing judicial proceedings.
This comes after it was reported earlier this month that the Identity and Democracy group was accused of breaching spending rules to the tune of at least €4.3m (£3.7m). The group dissolved in the summer of 2024, with many of its members and staff joining the Patriots. The new group denied wrongdoing.