EU Parliament audit finds right-wing Patriots group misused €277,000, with funds going to futsal and quad clubs
An internal audit by the European Parliament administration has found that the right-wing Patriots for Europe (PfE) group illegally used around €277,000 in EU funds during the second half of 2024, with money going to a futsal club in Martinique and a quad biking association in Guadeloupe.
The audit findings
The European Parliament's internal audit examined the PfE group's spending in the second half of 2024, when total expenses reached around €2 million. Auditors flagged roughly €277,000 as irregular, with the largest single block (€197,300) linked to three flawed procurement procedures run by the French delegation. Those contracts benefited five companies with financial, political or personal ties to the Rassemblement National (RN), the party that dominates the PfE.
A further €54,600 was booked as donations to organisations that do not meet the criteria for funding by EU Parliament groups. Recipients included an association promoting Flemish student traditions, a futsal (indoor football) club on Martinique, and a quad-biking club on Guadeloupe. The audit report states that none of these organisations had any connection to political activities or information work on EU policy.
- Flawed procurement (RN-linked companies)
- 197300 EUR
- Donations to ineligible organisations
- 54600 EUR
Reaction and next steps
The PfE group has already set aside a provision in its 2025 financial report to cover the repayment of the contested sums. The European Parliament's Budgetary Control Committee is expected to vote on a formal response as early as Wednesday.
Green MEP Daniel Freund, a member of that committee, said the violations were not accidental. "This culture of fraud must end," he told reporters. Freund called for the European Public Prosecutor's Office to investigate and for effective sanctions against those responsible. The PfE group has not yet commented on the findings.
Political context
The Patriots for Europe group is currently the third-largest in the European Parliament, with 85 MEPs. It is led by Jordan Bardella, the political protégé of Marine Le Pen, and includes Viktor Orbán's Fidesz party and the Austrian FPÖ. Bardella is seen as a likely candidate for the French presidency should Le Pen be barred from running due to a criminal conviction.
Earlier ID group investigation
Several PfE member parties previously sat in the now-dissolved Identity and Democracy (ID) group, which is also under scrutiny. The European Public Prosecutor's Office is investigating possible misuse of around €4.3 million in EU funds during the last legislative term. The former secretary-general of the ID group, Philip Claeys, now holds the same position at PfE.
