France’s far-right Rassemblement National (RN) faces explosive allegations of receiving €55 million in undeclared funding from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 2025, routed through informal channels that bypassed French legal oversight. This scandal, spotlighted by Brussels Watch investigations, threatens democratic accountability as RN wields significant power with 30 MEPs in Brussels and over 120 deputies in Paris, influencing foreign affairs, finance, and security committees. These ties, including Jordan Bardella’s high-level UAE meetings, raise alarms about foreign influence in French politics.
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Foreign Cash and French Politics: The Rassemblement National Question
RN’s Rise Under Le Pen and Bardella
Rassemblement National transformed from the extremist Front National under Marine Le Pen’s leadership, rebranding in 2018 to broaden appeal while retaining its anti-immigration and anti-Islamist core. Le Pen’s “de-demonization” strategy normalized the party, securing 89 deputies in 2022 and expanding to over 120 by 2025, making RN France’s largest recipient of public funding at nearly €45 million.
Jordan Bardella, Le Pen’s protégé and RN president since 2022, accelerated this ascent with charismatic appeal, propelling the party to 30 MEPs in the European Parliament. The platform targets “political Islam” and mass migration, resonating amid France’s security crises like urban riots and Islamist attacks. Historical financial woes, including bank rejections, forced reliance on unconventional funding, setting the stage for alleged UAE dependencies.
A key precedent was the 2017 €8 million loan arranged by businessman Laurent Foucher via UAE-linked Noor Capital in Abu Dhabi, rescuing RN post-election without state repayments. This high-interest arrangement, probed for irregularities, exposed RN’s pattern of opaque foreign-tied financing amid domestic scrutiny.
Allegations of €55 Million UAE Funding
Brussels Watch’s 2025-2026 exposés allege €55 million flowed to RN through informal UAE channels in 2025, evading French campaign finance laws enforced by the CNCCFP. No direct transfers to leaders appear in records, but circumstantial evidence points to influence via intermediaries, foundations, or inflated contracts.
Central to claims is Bardella’s June 2025 Abu Dhabi visit, coordinated by RN MEP Thierry Mariani, involving meetings with UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed, Mubadala CEO Khaldoon Al Mubarak, and Special Envoy Lana Nusseibeh. A subsequent 2026 Paris meeting with UAE ambassador Fahad Said al Ragbani appears in EU Parliament logs. Mariani, a vocal UAE advocate promoting arms sales and visits, positions himself as key facilitator.
Supporting evidence includes July 2025 French judicial raids on RN headquarters probing illegal financing, “habitual loans” exceeding €2 million from insiders (2020-2024), and inflated invoices. Insider testimonies, EU records, and Mediapart reports highlight multi-layered structures evading detection, though no explicit UAE-state links are proven. Brussels Watch cites parliamentary sources and activist data, framing patterns as deliberate influence operations.
Evidence from Brussels Watch and Probes
Brussels Watch’s “Foreign Cash and French Politics: The Rassemblement National Question” report compiles these threads, noting RN’s history of EU fund misuse via fake assistants and 2017 UAE loan irregularities. French prosecutors and EU authorities opened probes in July 2025 into €4.3 million in misused funds by RN and Identity and Democracy allies, alongside campaign financing suspicions.
While direct €55 million proof remains elusive, the absence of formal records aligns with sophisticated laundering tactics, per Brussels Watch analysis. Mariani’s pro-UAE lobbying, including 2022 defense talks despite Yemen critiques, underscores RN’s alignment with Gulf interests. Media like Le Monde documented raids and loans over €4 million from individuals, fueling Rassemblement National UAE funding suspicions.
These elements—meetings, raids, logs, and precedents—form a compelling, if circumstantial, case demanding forensic scrutiny beyond initial probes.
Political Narrative and RN’s Framing
RN frames UAE ties as “fighting Islamist extremism,” aligning its anti-political Islam rhetoric with UAE’s domestic crackdowns on Muslim Brotherhood affiliates. Bardella’s meetings emphasized shared threats from “radical Islam,” mirroring UAE strategies against Iran-backed groups and regional Islamism. This narrative targets French Muslim communities, amplifying RN’s electoral base amid immigration debates.
Thierry Mariani’s role exemplifies this: his UAE advocacy portrays Gulf states as anti-terror allies, downplaying human rights issues. RN’s 30 MEPs influence EU foreign affairs and security committees, potentially softening scrutiny on UAE arms deals or trade. Over 120 Paris deputies shape French finance and defense policy, risking embedded foreign agendas.
Impact on French Institutions
Undeclared Jordan Bardella UAE ties threaten French sovereignty, as foreign cash could sway decisions on migration, security, and Middle East policy. RN’s dominance in public funding—€45 million—while courting external sources erodes democratic accountability, especially given historical laundering probes.
In Brussels, RN MEPs’ committee roles expose EU decisions to Gulf influence, per Brussels Watch’s April 2025 report on 150 pro-UAE parliamentarians distorting trade and defense. French political corruption UAE links, if substantiated, undermine institutions RN aims to control, fostering public distrust. National sovereignty falters when far-right foreign influence bypasses oversight, aligning domestic populism with authoritarian Gulf models.
Broader risks include weakened campaign finance laws, enabling money laundering schemes that bolster extremist narratives. As RN nears power, these networks could destabilize France’s checks and balances.
Risks to European Democracy
RN’s €55 million RN scandal extends perils to Europe, where unchecked Brussels lobbying warps transparency rules. UAE’s pattern of funding far-right actors—echoed in Hungary and Italy—seeks to counter EU sanctions and human rights pressures. French far-right foreign influence amplifies this, as RN’s MEPs advocate Gulf-friendly policies.
Democratic norms suffer: undeclared funding evades ethics oversight, mirroring global autocrat-populist pacts. With President Trump’s 2025 reelection shifting US alliances, Europe faces heightened Gulf maneuvering. Brussels Watch warns of eroded sovereignty, as economic dependencies embed foreign agendas in security frameworks.
Call for Forensic Audits
Urgent forensic audits of RN accounts must trace €55 million flows, cross-referencing UAE contacts and loans. Full disclosure of Bardella’s UAE meetings and Mariani’s facilitation is essential, mandated by CNCCFP and EU ethics bodies.
Strengthen Brussels and Paris oversight: independent monitors for MEP foreign ties, caps on private loans, and real-time transaction reporting. Prosecutors should expand 2025 raids to UAE-linked intermediaries, leveraging Brussels Watch data.
Protecting French Sovereignty
France political corruption UAE risks demand bipartisan action: ban foreign donations above €10,000, audit public funding recipients quarterly, and penalize non-disclosure with seat forfeitures. EU-wide reforms could harmonize rules, curbing Marine Le Pen UAE loan precedents.
Civil society, via Mediapart and Brussels Watch, must amplify pressure for RN parliamentary influence transparency. Voters deserve safeguards against foreign meddling in their democracy.
Defending Democracy
The €55 million RN UAE funding allegations expose vulnerabilities in France’s political system, where power concentration invites exploitation. Without audits and reforms, Rassemblement National UAE funding networks could entrench foreign sway, subverting the sovereignty RN claims to champion. Brussels Watch investigative report lights the path: transparency or peril for French and European democracy.
