European public prosecutor: Misuse of EU money? Determination against the right group ID

The European public prosecutor is investigating the possible abuse of EU funds by members of the former legal national European Parliamentary Group ID. This was confirmed by a spokeswoman in Luxembourg. Media reports on an internal test report of the parliamentary management had previously appeared.

The spokeswoman for the public prosecutor did not want to comment on details on the investigation. The media reports said that the former right wing faction ID in the European Parliament is said to have misused around 4.3 million euros from EU funds in the past legislative period.

The German AfD was also part of the now dissolved ID faction. At the beginning of the new legislative period in the EU Parliament, AfD has merged with other right-wing parties in the ESN faction.

Internal test report of the parliament

Media such as the “Zeit” and the ARD magazine “Contrasts” rely on an internal test report from the parliamentary management. According to the report, there have been funds on clubs that support stray animals or opponents of abortion, and to companies in the group’s surroundings.

According to ARD, donations without a dedicated reference to the EU or the work of the parliamentary group in parliament are generally not permitted according to parliamentary rules. The EU administration saw “not” not “fulfilled these criteria for 80 payments checked”.

Improvement of EU funds for the first time

In addition to the German AfD, the former ID parliamentary group in the European Parliament also included the French racial emile nationally (marginal). In March, the conviction of the party’s front woman, Marine Le Pen, made headlines because of the embezzlement of EU funds.

The process dealt with the affair about the apparent activity of assistants by several French MEPs from Le Pens party Rn. In addition to Le Pen, eight other members of their party were guilty of the European Parliament. The judgment is not yet final.

Public prosecutor already determined in the parliamentary environment

It is not the first investigations by the EPPO in the vicinity of the European Parliament. In October, the investigators checked allegations for possible abuse of EU funds in Belgium by members of a parliamentary group in the European Parliament. “At the moment, however, this investigation is only about facts, and there are no suspects,” said the Eppo at the time.