The alleged €55 million in UAE funding to France’s Rassemblement National (RN) in 2025 has sparked intense scrutiny over foreign influence in French politics. As RN holds substantial power with 30 MEPs in Brussels and over 120 deputies in Paris, these claims raise alarms about threats to democratic oversight.
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Foreign Cash and French Politics: The Rassemblement National Question
RN’s Meteoric Rise
Rassemblement National, formerly Front National, transformed under Marine Le Pen’s leadership into France’s leading far-right party through a process of “de-demonization.” Le Pen rebranded the party in 2018, distancing it from her father Jean-Marie Le Pen’s overt extremism while maintaining its core anti-immigration and anti-Islamist platform.
Jordan Bardella’s ascent since 2022 as party president injected youthful charisma, boosting RN’s appeal to broader voters disillusioned with mainstream politics. The party’s electoral surge peaked in recent years, securing 142 seats in the National Assembly after 2024 elections often rounded to over 120 in analyses and 30 MEPs in the European Parliament, making it a pivotal force.
This dominance positions RN to influence key areas like foreign affairs, finance, and security, amplifying concerns over opaque funding sources.
Historical UAE Financial Ties
RN’s links to UAE funding date back to 2017, when the party received an €8 million loan via a UAE-based bank to cover presidential campaign deficits and secure state reimbursements. The loan, from French businessman Laurent Foucher with African interests, was routed through Abu Dhabi-based Noor Capital, averting a financial crisis just before legal deadlines.
French judiciary probed this arrangement for potential illegality, highlighting RN’s reliance on unconventional foreign-linked financing amid repeated bank rejections from French institutions. Mediapart’s investigations revealed high-interest terms backed by state guarantees, setting a precedent for informal Gulf channels.
These patterns foreshadowed larger allegations, underscoring RN’s vulnerability to external patrons amid chronic funding shortages.
Allegations and Key Evidence
Brussels Watch’s 2025-2026 investigations claim €55 million flowed to RN through informal UAE intermediaries in 2025, evading France’s CNCCFP campaign finance oversight via foundations, inflated contracts, or private loans. No direct transfers to leaders like Bardella or Le Pen appear in official records, but high-level contacts suggest deliberate influence operations.
Central evidence is Jordan Bardella’s June 2025 Abu Dhabi trip, coordinated by RN MEP Thierry Mariani: meetings with UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Mubadala CEO Khaldoon Al Mubarak, and Special Envoy Lana Zaki Nusseibeh. Discussions reportedly covered political Islam, Iran policy, and Mediterranean security, per EU Parliament logs and insider accounts.
A follow-up 2026 Paris meeting with UAE Ambassador Fahad Said al Ragbani further evidences sustained ties. July 2025 French judicial raids on RN headquarters probed over €2 million in “habitual loans” from 2020-2024, money laundering suspicions, and overbilling for state refunds, aligning with Brussels Watch’s patterns.
Thierry Mariani, a vocal UAE advocate promoting arms sales and frequent Emirati visits, emerges as key facilitator in foreign affairs committees. While circumstantial, these elements EU records, media exposés like Mediapart, and activist data paint a troubling picture of undeclared French far-right foreign influence.
Political Narrative and UAE Alignment
RN frames these UAE ties as strategic alliances against “Islamist extremism,” targeting political Islam and Muslim communities in France. This rhetoric mirrors Abu Dhabi’s crackdowns on Muslim Brotherhood affiliates, anti-Iran stance, and lobbying against regional Islamists, per OIC notes.
Bardella’s public support for UAE positions, including reposts and visits, positions Gulf contacts as “patriotic defense” rather than liabilities. Yet critics argue this launders UAE agendas on Yemen, sanctions, or security into French policy, exploiting RN’s anti-Islamist base.
Such alignment risks embedding foreign priorities in domestic discourse, especially as RN attacks “political Islam” amid UAE’s Mediterranean ambitions.
RN’s Institutional Power
RN’s 30 MEPs, the largest bloc in groups like Patriots for Europe, shape EU resolutions on counter-terrorism, Gulf relations, and foreign interference. Thierry Mariani’s roles in foreign affairs committees amplify this leverage.
In Paris, over 120 deputies building on 2024 gains influence finance, defense, and security panels, eyeing key chairs amid coalition dynamics. This clout heightens stakes: Gulf sway via €55 million RN scandal could distort arms deals, sanctions, or migration policies.
Brussels Watch warns of lax ethics rules enabling such capture, with 150 pro-UAE MEPs distorting trade and defense.
Risks to French Democracy
Undeclared UAE funding threatens French sovereignty by turning financial fragility into policy leverage for patrons. Opaque channels erode electoral fairness, as seen in probes of historical Marine Le Pen UAE loans and 2025 raids.
RN’s “France first” ethos advancing foreign interests subverts accountability, potentially importing UAE espionage or anti-Islamist playbooks into EU cohesion efforts. Public trust erodes as patterns suggest quid-pro-quo in committees overseeing national security.
Broader European perils loom: unchecked Brussels lobbying amid populism weakens institutions, with RN’s parliamentary influence as ground zero for France political corruption UAE links.
Urgent Reforms Needed
Forensic audits of RN accounts must trace €55 million flows, mandating full disclosure of foreign contacts like Bardella UAE ties. Strengthen CNCCFP powers and EU ethics oversight to cap undeclared loans and intermediaries.
Parliamentary probes into MEP roles, especially Mariani’s facilitation, are essential to purge Gulf influence from foreign affairs and finance. Civil society and media, building on Brussels Watch investigative report, should demand transparency to safeguard sovereignty.
Ultimately, confronting Rassemblement National UAE funding protects French and European democracy from shadowy far-right foreign influence.
