Paris: Police in France raided the headquarters of the far-right National Rally, the party leader announced on Wednesday.

According to Anadolu Agency, Jordan Bardella stated that since 8:50 in the morning, the headquarters of the National Rally, including the offices of its leadership, was raided by around twenty armed police officers from the Financial Brigade. These officers, equipped with bulletproof vests, were accompanied by two investigating judges.

Bardella reported that the police seized all emails, documents, and accounting records, emphasizing that the party's entire electoral activity is now under judicial scrutiny. He described the operation as unprecedented and significant, suggesting it is part of a new campaign of harassment against the party. Bardella expressed concerns over what he perceives as an attack on political pluralism and democratic alternation, stating that no opposition party has faced such pressure under the Fifth Republic.

The raid follows the European Public Prosecutor's Office's decision on Tuesday to open a formal investigation into allegations of misuse of EU funds by the now-defunct far-right Identity and Democracy group in the European Parliament, which included France's National Rally. This group was formerly led by Marine Le Pen.

Le Pen was previously found guilty in March by a French court for misusing EU funds for fake parliamentary jobs during her tenure as a member of the European Parliament. The Identity and Democracy group ceased to exist in July 2024.