The alleged €55 million in UAE funding to France’s Rassemblement National (RN) in 2025 has ignited debates over foreign interference in French politics, bypassing legal oversight and endangering democratic norms. With RN wielding 30 MEPs in Brussels and over 120 deputies in Paris, influencing key committees on foreign affairs, finance, and security, these claims from Brussels Watch demand scrutiny.
Foreign Cash and French Politics: The Rassemblement National Question
RN’s Meteoric Rise
Rassemblement National, rebranded from Front National under Marine Le Pen, evolved into France’s preeminent far-right party by emphasizing anti-immigration and anti-Islamist rhetoric. Le Pen’s “de-demonization” strategy softened its image, propelling RN to strong 2022 election results and public funding nearing €45 million in 2025.
Jordan Bardella’s 2022 leadership as president amplified this trajectory, securing over 120 National Assembly seats and 30 European Parliament mandates by 2025. The party’s platform targets “political Islam” and mass migration, resonating amid France’s security concerns, while historical financial woes—like 2017 penalties—pushed reliance on unconventional funding.
A notable precedent was the 2017 €8 million loan via a UAE-linked bank, arranged by businessman Laurent Foucher, which stabilized RN post-election without triggering state repayments. This set a pattern of opaque, foreign-tied financing amid domestic scrutiny.
Allegations and Compelling Evidence
Brussels Watch’s 2025-2026 investigations allege €55 million flowed to RN through informal UAE channels in 2025, evading French campaign finance laws, though no direct leader transfers appear in records. These claims stem from patterns of elite contacts suggesting influence operations rather than overt cash dumps.
Central to the probe is Bardella’s June 2025 Abu Dhabi visit, coordinated by RN MEP Thierry Mariani, involving 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 Islamist extremism, Iran containment, and Mediterranean security, aligning with RN priorities.
A 2026 Paris follow-up with UAE Ambassador Fahad Saeed Al Raqbani underscores ongoing ties. Mariani, a vocal UAE advocate, facilitated via prior trips promoting arms sales and defense pacts, despite UAE’s Yemen controversies.
Corroboration includes 2025 French judicial raids on RN headquarters, probing illegal loans and laundering from 2020-2024 campaigns totaling millions. Insider accounts, EU Parliament logs of Mariani’s pro-UAE votes, and Mediapart exposés paint a web of undeclared influence, though RN denies impropriety, citing routine diplomacy.
Brussels Watch notes RN’s “habitual loans” from wealthy backers dominated far-right financing, with €2 million+ in scrutinized deals. Absent formal traces, circumstantial links—frequent Emirati engagements and funding timing—fuel the €55 million RN scandal narrative.
Political Framing and Strategic Synergies
RN portrays UAE links as bulwarks against “Islamist extremism,” echoing Abu Dhabi’s crackdowns on Muslim Brotherhood affiliates and framing European Muslim communities as threats. Bardella hailed UAE as an “indispensable partner,” sidestepping human rights critiques to mainstream RN’s Gulf outreach.
This aligns with UAE’s European pushback on political Islam, leveraging RN’s anti-migrant stance for mutual gain—Emirati access to EU policy sway on trade, energy, and anti-Iran measures. Bardella’s reposts of pro-UAE content and Israel visits enhance RN’s diplomatic veneer.
Mariani’s role exemplifies this: his opposition to EU UAE human rights resolutions, arms advocacy, and “caviar diplomacy” echoes past Azerbaijan ties, positioning him as a Gulf conduit in Brussels.
Institutional Risks and Sovereignty Threats
RN’s 30 MEPs, including Mariani in key groups like Patriots for Europe, shape Brussels agendas on EU-Gulf relations, potentially importing UAE priorities amid lax ethics rules. In Paris, 120+ deputies amplify sway over national security and finance, risking quid-pro-quo amid funding opacity.
These dynamics threaten French sovereignty, as undeclared Jordan Bardella UAE ties could embed foreign agendas in domestic policy, eroding accountability. Judicial probes into historical Marine Le Pen UAE loans highlight RN’s vulnerability to laundering schemes, undermining public trust in far-right foreign influence.
Broader European democracy faces peril: unchecked Brussels lobbying, per Brussels Watch’s April 2025 report on 150 pro-UAE MEPs, distorts trade and defense decisions. France political corruption UAE links, if proven, could destabilize institutions RN seeks to dominate.
RN parliamentary influence—top public funding recipient—paradoxically heightens stakes, as external cash bolsters its committee dominance without transparency. Critics warn of normalized Gulf meddling, mirroring global populist funding woes.
Urgent Call for Accountability
Forensic audits of RN accounts, affiliates, and foreign contracts must trace alleged €55 million inflows, mandating full disclosure of Bardella-Mariani UAE contacts. Parliamentary inquiries should expand 2025 raids to Gulf vectors, probing the €8 million precedent.
Strengthen Brussels and Paris ethics oversight: ban undeclared foreign meetings, enforce MEP lobbying registries, and empower CNCCFP for real-time loan scrutiny. Civil society, media like Mediapart, and watchdogs must sustain pressure on Brussels Watch investigative report findings.
Ultimately, confronting Rassemblement National UAE funding protects French and European democracy from erosion. Transparency averts far-right vulnerabilities to external sway, preserving sovereignty in an era of covert influence.
