The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) has carried out searches at the European Parliament in Strasbourg and Belgium as part of an ongoing investigation into the suspected misuse of EU funds by the now-defunct far-right political group Identity and Democracy (ID).
The investigation follows findings by the European Parliament’s finance department that the former group misused €4.3 million between 2019 and 2024 through irregular donations and public procurement procedures.
EPPO is investigating whether ID made improper donations to regional organisations in several EU countries and awarded contracts to companies with close links to the group, potentially violating procurement rules.
Although the Patriots for Europe group insists it has no legal continuity with ID and is not involved in the ongoing investigation, many former ID staff members moved to the Patriots after ID was dissolved in 2024. The former group included representatives of France’s National Rally, Austria’s Freedom Party, Hungary’s Fidesz, Spain’s Vox, Belgium’s Vlaams Belang and the Czech ANO 2011 party.
The controversy does not end there. In 2025, the European Parliament’s finance department ordered the Patriots to repay €276,967 in EU funds that it said had been improperly used during the second half of 2024, involving similar irregularities in procurement procedures.
The European Parliament says it is cooperating with the relevant authorities. The investigation remains ongoing, and the allegations have not yet been established in court.
EU taxpayers deserve answers. While European institutions demand transparency and accountability from member states, allegations involving millions of euros in public money and political groups inside the Parliament itself raise serious questions about oversight, procurement and the use of taxpayers’ funds.
