Investigation Launched into Loans to France's National Rally as Party Claims Harassment
Jordan Bardella, President of the National Rally, denounces what he calls a coordinated campaign against the party amid an investigation into unofficial loans.
The National Rally (Rassemblement National, RN) has publicly responded to an ongoing judicial investigation concerning loans provided by individuals to the far-right political party.
On Thursday, the RN's president, Jordan Bardella, characterized the inquiry as a 'harassment operation' and accused authorities of attempting a 'financial death' of the party.
The judicial investigation commenced in July following a report from the National Commission for Campaign Accounts and Political Financing (Commission nationale des comptes de campagne et des financements politiques, CNCCFP).
The CNCCFP had identified loans from 23 individuals amounting to over €2.3 million between 2020 and 2023, which the RN has been reportedly slow to repay.
Under French law, personal loans to political parties are tightly regulated.
Such loans cannot be 'habitual,' must adhere to specified limits, and are required to be repaid within five years to avoid being classified as disguised donations.
Bardella, who stated that he only became aware of the situation through media reports, affirmed his innocence while speaking in Montceau-les-Mines, Saône-et-Loire.
He emphasized that individuals seeking loans to support the RN did so after all conventional banking institutions refused to extend credit following the last presidential election.
He maintained that these loans were 'perfectly legal' and followed due procedures, including formal contracts.
The judicial inquiry originally concentrated on allegations of fraud involving a public entity and the use of forgery but has now extended its scope to include suspicions of habitual lending to a political party by private individuals, as well as the acceptance of monetary donations exceeding €7,500 per individual by political parties.
The ongoing investigation poses significant implications for the RN, which has faced financial difficulties and challenges in obtaining traditional funding sources.
On Thursday, the RN's president, Jordan Bardella, characterized the inquiry as a 'harassment operation' and accused authorities of attempting a 'financial death' of the party.
The judicial investigation commenced in July following a report from the National Commission for Campaign Accounts and Political Financing (Commission nationale des comptes de campagne et des financements politiques, CNCCFP).
The CNCCFP had identified loans from 23 individuals amounting to over €2.3 million between 2020 and 2023, which the RN has been reportedly slow to repay.
Under French law, personal loans to political parties are tightly regulated.
Such loans cannot be 'habitual,' must adhere to specified limits, and are required to be repaid within five years to avoid being classified as disguised donations.
Bardella, who stated that he only became aware of the situation through media reports, affirmed his innocence while speaking in Montceau-les-Mines, Saône-et-Loire.
He emphasized that individuals seeking loans to support the RN did so after all conventional banking institutions refused to extend credit following the last presidential election.
He maintained that these loans were 'perfectly legal' and followed due procedures, including formal contracts.
The judicial inquiry originally concentrated on allegations of fraud involving a public entity and the use of forgery but has now extended its scope to include suspicions of habitual lending to a political party by private individuals, as well as the acceptance of monetary donations exceeding €7,500 per individual by political parties.
The ongoing investigation poses significant implications for the RN, which has faced financial difficulties and challenges in obtaining traditional funding sources.
