EU prosecutors raid offices of far‑right group in European Parliament

EU prosecutors searched the administrative offices of the far‑right Patriots for Europe group in Brussels and Strasbourg on 21 October 2026. The searches were part of an ongoing investigation into the use of EU funds by a former European Parliament group. The European Public Prosecutor's Office said it would not publish further details to protect the investigation.

According to the European Public Prosecutor's Office, the searches were part of a probe into alleged misuse of funds by members of the former Identity and Democracy group. The former ID group included parties such as France's National Rally, Germany's AfD, Austria's Freedom Party, and Italy's Lega. European Parliament auditors found that ID members had misused at least €4.3 million in EU funds during the 2019‑2024 term. The money was transferred to companies close to the group and to anti‑abortion associations.

The Patriots for Europe group said it has no legal continuity with the dissolved Identity and Democracy group. The group stated it was not involved in the ongoing investigations. AfD was not invited to join the new group. The group has 85 seats in the 719‑seat European Parliament, making it the third‑largest group.

Police raided the office of the Patriots for Europe secretary general, according to Le Monde. The raid was conducted by officers from the European Public Prosecutor's Office. The search aimed to gather evidence supporting suspicions of financial crimes. No further details were released by the prosecutor's office.