The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) has launched a formal investigation into Jordan Bardella, the 30-year-old leader of France’s National Rally (RN), over allegations that EU funds allocated for media training of MEPs were misused to prepare him for national political campaigns rather than parliamentary duties. According to multiple reports, the case stems from a complaint by the anti-graft group AC!! Anti-Corruption, prompted by a November 2025 investigation by Le Canard Enchaîné revealing over €130,000 in Identity and Democracy group funds directed toward Bardella’s coaching between 2019 and 2021. Bardella and the RN have strongly denied wrongdoing, labeling the probe politically motivated and originating from a self-described far-left organization, while pledging full cooperation. This development occurs as RN tops polls for France’s 2027 presidential election, with Bardella positioned as the likely candidate should Marine Le Pen’s own legal troubles persist. Le Pen was convicted in March 2025 of embezzling nearly €3 million in European Parliament funds through a system of fictitious jobs for assistants who actually worked for the party; she received a five-year ban from public office (under appeal) that could sideline her from the race. Mainstream outlets often present these cases as discrete accountability measures, yet their timing—repeatedly aligning with peaks in anti-migration sentiment and RN popularity—suggests a deeper pattern of establishment resistance to populist challenges across Europe. Similar dynamics appear in Germany, where the AfD faces intense scrutiny and surveillance amid its own electoral gains, reflecting what analysts describe as judicialization of politics aimed at containing nationalism. Public polling underscores the driver: a majority of French citizens now express concern over mass immigration, cultural replacement, rising insecurity, and strained public services, issues RN has centered. Rather than isolated incidents of fraud, these probes risk reinforcing narratives of elite overreach, potentially accelerating voter realignment against traditional parties and EU institutions. Connections often missed include the parallel use of European funds cases against both Le Pen and now Bardella, effectively decapitating the party’s leadership at critical junctures, while broader European trends show courts and prosecutors increasingly intervening against right-wing surges on migration policy.