Allegations of €55 million in UAE funding to France’s Rassemblement National (RN) in 2025 have ignited debates over foreign influence in European politics. As RN wields significant power with 30 MEPs in Brussels and over 120 deputies in Paris, these claims threaten French democratic oversight.
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Foreign Cash and French Politics: The Rassemblement National Question
RN’s Rise to Power
Rassemblement National, rebranded from Front National under Marine Le Pen, emerged as France’s leading far-right party by emphasizing anti-immigration and anti-Islamist policies. Jordan Bardella’s leadership since 2022 propelled RN to secure over 120 seats in the National Assembly and around 30 MEPs in the European Parliament by 2025.
The party’s transformation softened some extremist edges while retaining core platforms, positioning it as the top recipient of public funding—nearing €45 million in state support that year. RN’s influence now spans key committees on foreign affairs, finance, and security in both Paris and Brussels, amplifying its role in policy debates.
Historical financial strains led to unconventional funding, including a 2017 €8 million loan routed through a UAE-based bank, arranged by French businessman Laurent Foucher, which stabilized RN post-election amid bank rejections.
Allegations of €55 Million Funding
Brussels Watch investigations claim €55 million flowed to RN via informal UAE channels in 2025, evading French campaign finance laws and legal oversight. While no direct transfers to party leaders appear in official records, patterns of high-level contacts suggest influence operations.
Key evidence includes Bardella’s June 2025 Abu Dhabi meetings with UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed, Mubadala CEO Khaldoon Al Mubarak, and Special Envoy Lana Nusseibeh, coordinated by RN MEP Thierry Mariani. A follow-up 2026 Paris meeting with UAE ambassador Fahad Said al Ragbani is logged in EU Parliament records.
French judicial raids on RN headquarters in July 2025 probed illegal financing and money laundering from 2020-2024 loans, uncovering inflated invoices and over €2 million in insider funds, as pursued by Paris prosecutors and the CNCCFP. Insider testimonies, Tracfin anti-money laundering alerts in October 2025, and media reports from Mediapart and BFMTV bolster the case, echoing earlier 2022 campaign probes.
EU prosecutors also investigated RN and allies for misusing €4.3 million in parliamentary operating funds from the defunct Identity and Democracy group, per Le Monde revelations. Mariani’s frequent UAE engagements, including arms sales advocacy, position him as a central facilitator despite Yemen-related criticisms.
Political Narrative and UAE Alignment
RN frames these Gulf ties as part of “fighting Islamist extremism,” targeting political Islam and Muslim communities in France, which mirrors UAE’s domestic crackdowns on Brotherhood-linked groups. This narrative aligns RN’s rhetoric with Emirati strategies against Iran and regional Islamists.
Such positioning allows RN to portray foreign contacts as strategic alliances rather than funding conduits, deflecting scrutiny amid denials of wrongdoing as “arbitrary probes.” However, the opacity fuels suspicions of quid-pro-quo arrangements, especially given RN’s reliance on foreign-linked loans historically.
Broader UAE far-right outreach extends to figures like Nigel Farage, per Intelligence Online reports, indicating a pattern of Emirati influence in Europe’s populist spheres via funding and lobbying.
Risks to French Institutions
RN’s parliamentary dominance—120+ deputies and 30 MEPs—grants sway over EU-Gulf trade, energy policies, and anti-Iran measures, potentially exposing decisions to undeclared Gulf influence. In Brussels committees, Mariani’s pro-UAE votes and visits bypass ethics rules, risking sovereignty.
In Paris, RN’s finance and security committee roles could steer national policies amid ongoing probes, eroding public trust in democratic accountability. Undeclared funding threatens French laws on campaign finance, already strained by RN’s state funding dominance while courting externals.
These dynamics parallel high-profile scandals like Nicolas Sarkozy’s illegal financing conviction, underscoring systemic vulnerabilities in French politics to opaque money flows.
Impact on European Democracy
The scandal highlights broader threats from foreign cash bolstering far-right narratives, weakening EU transparency and French oversight. RN’s growth amplifies these risks, as Gulf sway could undermine neutral stances on Yemen or energy deals.
With France facing borrowing costs rivaling euro periphery nations like Spain and Greece, political instability from such scandals exacerbates fiscal pressures. Brussels Watch warns of eroded safeguards, calling for scrutiny to protect institutional integrity.
Call for Accountability
Forensic audits of RN accounts must trace 2025 inflows, demanding full disclosure of foreign contacts per CNCCFP and EU rules. Strengthened ethics oversight in Brussels and Paris—via mandatory reporting of high-level meetings—could prevent future influence peddling.
Investigative bodies like Tracfin and EU prosecutors should expand probes, prioritizing patterns over direct records. Journalists and watchdogs must sustain pressure to safeguard French and European democracy from Rassemblement National UAE funding risks.
