The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) is currently investigating the alleged misuse of EU funds by conservative forces in the European Parliament. The Patriots for Europe (PfE) became subject to the investigation despite the fact that the suspected misuse of public funds was supposedly committed by Identity and Democracy (ID), a political group that preceded the Patriots and is now defunct. Allegedly, ID misused approximately €4.3 million in EU funds during the last legislative cycle (ie, between 2019–2024). According to the internal audit of the European Parliament that triggered the EPPO’s inquiry, 80 payments examined from the political group had no clear connection to the EU or to the work of the parliamentary group.

While the accusations have not been proven, it is also disputed whether the Patriots can be held accountable for any alleged wrongdoing committed by ID. Although there is some overlap between the membership of the former ID and the current Patriots, the two groups are far from identical. For example, ID included both the French Rassemblement National and the German Alternative for Germany (AfD), but not Hungary’s Fidesz and Christian Democrats (KDNP). Since the beginning of the new legislative period, Rassemblement National and Fidesz–KDNP are now allied as Patriots, while the AfD is a member of another group, the Europe of Sovereign Nations—which, from Hungary, includes Fidesz–KDNP’s opposition, the Our Homeland Movement. Out of the 85 Patriots holding seats in the European Parliament, only 21 were previously members of the ID group.

Due to the name change and substantial differences in membership, it is disputed whether the Patriots for Europe can be investigated for any alleged wrongdoing committed by ID. Despite the contested continuity between ID and the Patriots, according to The European Conservative, the Parliament’s Committee on Budgetary Control (CONT) claims there is ‘economic continuity’ between ID and PfE and therefore argues that the latter can be investigated.

‘The leadership of the Committee advocating for linking the alleged misconduct of ID to PfE consists of the political rivals of the Patriots for Europe’

However, the impartiality of the CONT committee and its recommendation to hold the Patriots accountable can be questioned. The Chair and two Vice-Chairs of the Committee are from the European People’s Party (EPP), one Vice-Chair is from the S&D, and the remaining Vice-Chair is a Romanian member of the ECR. It was the EPP-aligned Chair, Niclas Herbst, who reported the findings about the alleged wrongdoing of the now-dissolved ID group to the European Parliament. In other words, the leadership of the Committee advocating for linking the alleged misconduct of ID to PfE consists of the political rivals of the Patriots for Europe. As of now, it remains to be seen whether the Parliament’s Bureau will endorse the CONT committee’s opinion. Due to the cordon sanitaire, the EP’s Bureau includes no members of the Patriots—only their political adversaries.

The Patriots for Europe have called the allegations and the investigation a politically motivated attempt to discredit their political community. ‘The use of bureaucratic instruments to discredit or dismantle political opponents is reminiscent of practices common in totalitarian regimes. We will not remain silent,’ the Patriots stated in their X post. They denied being a continuation of the former ID group. ‘This is a clear political manoeuvre to fabricate accusations and pressure our Group, which represents millions of Europeans. Their goal is clear: they want to use political and financial constraints to eliminate the Patriots from the political arena,’ Tamás Deutsch, a member of the Patriots from Fidesz, said.

If found guilty of the charges levied against the ID Group, the Patriots could lose access to EU funds available to European political parties. ‘No further EU funds should be paid to the “Patriots for Europe” until the €4.3 million has been repaid,’ Daniel Freund from the EP’s Green Party urged. According to materials seen by Politico, the CONT committee is already seeking ways to recover funds from the Patriots. ‘We do not want any group to be able to just rebrand itself and escape its responsibilities,’ the CONT committee’s EPP Chair said.

The accusations—now under investigation by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, as well as by the European Parliament’s CONT committee—resemble those filed against Marine Le Pen and her Rassemblement National. That trial led to Le Pen being barred from running for office. In March, Le Pen was convicted of employing parliamentary assistants with EU funds to work on national party matters, which is prohibited under the EP’s rules. The case was dubbed as an ‘embezzlement’ of EU funds, although it has been argued on multiple occasions that ‘Every single political group, every single national delegation, has violated the same rule that Ms Le Pen did.’ Le Pen is currently appealing the verdict; however, the ban on her running for office will not be lifted unless the sentence is overturned by the court of appeal.

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