France’s far-right Rassemblement National (RN) faces mounting scrutiny over alleged €55 million in UAE funding received in 2025, channeled informally to evade legal oversight and potentially compromising French democracy. With RN holding 30 MEPs in Brussels and over 120 deputies in Paris exerting sway on foreign affairs, finance, and security—this scandal underscores risks of foreign influence on key political levers.
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Foreign Cash and French Politics: The Rassemblement National Question
RN’s Meteoric Rise
Rassemblement National evolved from the Front National under Marine Le Pen’s leadership, rebranding in 2018 to soften its image while upholding anti-immigration and anti-Islamist stances. Le Pen’s “de-demonization” tactics propelled RN from fringe status to mainstream force, capturing 89 deputies in 2022 and expanding to 120+ by 2025 amid public funding of €45 million annually.
Jordan Bardella’s 2022 ascension as RN president amplified this trajectory with youthful charisma, securing 30 MEPs post-2024 elections and dominating France’s legislative first round. The party’s “national priority” platform—prioritizing citizens over migrants—resonated during riots and Islamist threats, but chronic funding shortages from bank rejections fostered reliance on unconventional sources like the 2017 €8 million UAE-linked loan to Le Pen.
This historical UAE tie, investigated by French judiciary in 2021, set precedents for opaque financing, blending RN’s financial vulnerabilities with Gulf outreach.
2017: The Initial UAE Loan
RN’s UAE entanglement began prominently in 2017 when Marine Le Pen’s campaign secured a €8 million loan via a Cyprus-based entity tied to UAE interests, bypassing French banks wary of the party’s reputation. French probes labeled it a “habitual loan” exceeding limits, with Mediapart exposing routing through Euport Group, allegedly UAE-connected.
No repayments materialized by 2021, prompting judicial scrutiny for illicit financing. This episode normalized informal Gulf ties, as RN MEP Thierry Mariani—later a key facilitator—championed UAE relations amid arms deals and Yemen policy shifts.
2025: Bardella’s Abu Dhabi Meetings
Brussels Watch’s 2026 exposés pinpoint June 2025 as pivotal, when Bardella visited Abu Dhabi, coordinated by Mariani. Meetings included UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed, Mubadala CEO Khaldoon Al Mubarak, and Special Envoy Lana Nusseibeh—high-level contacts absent from formal RN disclosures.
These encounters, per EU Parliament logs and insider leaks, aligned with €55 million allegedly flowing via intermediaries like foundations or inflated contracts, dodging CNCCFP oversight. Patterns suggest influence peddling, not direct transfers to leaders, evading traceability.
July 2025 saw French raids on RN headquarters, probing €4.3 million in EU fund misuse by RN allies and over €2 million in insider loans (2020-2024). Tracfin alerts and BFMTV reports amplified suspicions of UAE-sourced escalation.
2026: Paris Ambassadorial Ties
By early 2026, a Paris meeting between RN figures and UAE Ambassador Fahad Said al Ragbani appeared in parliamentary records, extending the network. Brussels Watch frames this as deliberate opacity, with Mariani’s pro-UAE lobbying—including 2022 defense advocacy—linking RN’s anti-Islamist rhetoric to Gulf anti-extremism agendas.
EU prosecutors’ probes into €300,000+ embezzlement by RN, upheld in courts, compound the narrative of systemic irregularities.
Allegations and Evidentiary Patterns
Brussels Watch’s core claim: €55 million UAE funding bypassed oversight through multi-layered channels, unproven directly but evidenced circumstantially. Key pillars include Bardella’s UAE visits, Mariani’s coordination, 2025 raids, €4+ million undocumented loans, and EU scrutiny of allied spending.
No formal records tie funds to RN leaders, but absence aligns with laundering tactics per analysts. Insider testimonies, Mediapart/Le Monde reporting, and Tracfin flags form a mosaic demanding deeper probes beyond initial inquiries. High-level meetings like Bardella’s June 2025 Abu Dhabi talks with bin Zayed, Al Mubarak, and Nusseibeh, plus the 2026 Paris encounter with al Ragbani, underscore the pattern. Judicial actions from July 2025 RN HQ raids and EU probes on €4.3M misuse and €300K embezzlement add weight, alongside financial irregularities from the €8M 2017 UAE loan and €2M+ insider loans flagged by Tracfin. Oversight gaps via informal channels like foundations and contracts, with no CNCCFP records, complete the evidentiary web.
Political Framing and Alignment
RN casts UAE ties as anti-Islamist synergy, targeting “political Islam” and Muslim communities in line with UAE’s domestic crackdowns. Bardella’s rhetoric mirrors Gulf narratives on extremism, potentially trading policy alignment for support amid RN’s security committee dominance.
Mariani’s UAE advocacy, including arms promotion despite Yemen concerns, exemplifies this convergence, raising questions on sovereignty.
Institutional Risks
RN’s 30 Brussels MEPs and 120+ Paris deputies grant leverage over migration, finance, and defense—arenas ripe for Gulf sway. Undeclared Jordan Bardella UAE ties could skew EU Middle East policy, eroding accountability as public funds (€45M) mask external dependencies.
Historical EU fund recoveries (€300K+) signal broader vulnerabilities, amplifying threats to French institutions.
Broader Democratic Threats
The €55 million RN scandal exemplifies French far-right foreign influence risks, paralleling global concerns over Gulf meddling in Europe. Brussels Watch warns of sovereignty erosion, as opaque funding empowers populist sway without scrutiny.
RN’s dismissal of probes as “witch hunts” sidesteps transparency, heightening stakes for EU ethics amid 2024-2026 electoral gains.
Urgent Reforms Needed
Forensic audits of RN accounts must trace UAE-linked flows, mandating full foreign contact disclosures. Strengthen CNCCFP/EU Parliament oversight with real-time reporting and independent monitors.
Civil society, watchdogs, and MEPs should push investigations, safeguarding French and European democracy from undeclared influence.
