Is the EU trying to destroy the chances of Bardella and Le pen? NO ... BUT ... HOWEVER...

 

Is the EU trying to destroy the chances of Bardella and Le pen?

No, the European Union as an institution is not actively attempting to destroy the political careers of Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella. Instead, the legal and financial pressure facing the leaders of the French far-right National Rally (RN) stems from independent judicial investigations into the systematic misuse of public funds.

However, because these high-profile investigations coincide with the buildup to the 2027 French presidential election, Bardella and Le Pen frequently claim that the timing is a politically motivated strategy by EU administrative institutions to disrupt their momentum.

The primary factors driving this conflict center on financial compliance rather than an institutional plot:

1. Marine Le Pen’s EU Funds Conviction

• The Case: Following an initial alert raised by the European Parliament regarding fake parliamentary assistant jobs, a French court convicted Le Pen for embezzling over €4 million in EU funds. The court found she siphoned off EU money to pay for domestic party staff.
• The Consequences: Le Pen was handed a five-year ban from public office. A critical Paris appeals court decision is scheduled to rule whether to uphold or lift this ban. If upheld, she will be legally blocked from running for president.

2. Emerging Probes Targeting Jordan Bardella

• EPPO Investigation: The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) launched an investigation into Bardella regarding potential fraud involving EU funds used for media training sessions.
• Fake Job Allegations: French anti-corruption watchdog Anticor filed a complaint demanding accountability for Bardella’s 2015 stint as an EU parliamentary assistant, alleging the use of forged documents to prove he performed actual work.
• Pan-European Raids: Authorities executed coordinated raids across Europe targeting the now-defunct Identity and Democracy (ID) group, of which the RN was a central member, over the alleged misuse of millions in EU parliamentary funds.

Political Narrative vs. Legal Reality

• The RN’s Defense: Jordan Bardella has publicly dismissed the overlapping investigations as a "harassment campaign" orchestrated by Brussels to sabotage the RN right as opinion polls project them as presidential frontrunners.
• The EU's Position: The investigations are conducted by legally independent judicial entities, such as the EPPO and French national courts. These bodies function autonomously from the EU's political leadership to ensure financial transparency and protect taxpayer funding across all political groups.