European public prosecutor opens investigation into former far-right ID group in EU parliament
The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) has launched an investigation into the now-defunct far-right Identity & Democracy (ID) group in the European Parliament. This group previously included France’s Rassemblement National (RN) and Belgium’s Vlaams Belang. The group is suspected of financial misconduct involving more than 4.3 million euros of EU funds between 2019 and 2024.
A spokesperson for the EPPO confirmed the investigation to the French news agency AFP, but declined to provide further details in order to avoid compromising the proceedings.
According to a European Parliament report cited by multiple media outlets in early July, the majority of the funds in question were allegedly channelled to two companies associated with Frédéric Chatillon, a former adviser to Marine Le Pen, and his wife.
Allegations denied
The Flemish nationalist party Vlaams Belang was also a member of the ID group during the last parliamentary term. Earlier this month, Philip Claeys, a former MEP and ID group secretary from 2019 to 2024, publicly denied the allegations.
According to Belgian magazine Knack, the Flemish nationalist student organisation KVHV is also mentioned in the Parliament’s internal report. The organisation allegedly received 30,140 euros in EU funds. Until last year, the non-profit association behind KVHV Ghent was registered at the private address of Tom Vandendriessche, an MEP for Vlaams Belang and the current chair of KVHV’s governing board.
ID was a political group in the European Parliament. It was established on 13 June 2019 and brought together far-right, right-wing populist, Eurosceptic and nationalist parties from six member states. It succeeded the Europe of Nations and Freedom group, and most of its members later joined the Patriots for Europe group at the start of the 10th parliamentary term in 2024.
The group defined its core priorities as defending national sovereignty and European cultural heritage, restricting illegal immigration, managing legal immigration, enhancing security, reducing EU bureaucracy and combatting the perceived Islamisation of Europe.
It also firmly opposed Turkey’s accession to the EU. While rejecting deeper EU integration and the creation of a "European superstate", the group supported intergovernmental cooperation and EU reform focused on transparency and accountability.
Although ID presented itself as being in favour of national sovereignty rather than being anti-European, political analysts commonly described it as being nationalist, Eurosceptic, anti-immigrant and right-wing populist.
Illustration shows a meeting organised by the ID group in June 2022 © BELGA PHOTO NICOLAS MAETERLINCK
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