The European Parliament’s Committee on Budgetary Control (CONT) has recommended that the €4 million improperly spent by the far-right Identity and Democracy (ID) group during its previous term should be reimbursed by the Patriots for Europe (PfE) group. This recommendation follows a troubling audit revealing that the ID group, which included parties like France’s Rassemblement National and Italy’s The League, misused at least €4,333,635.78 of EU funds from 2019 to 2024, as identified by the Parliament’s financial oversight division. The identification of these irregularities led to the involvement of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), which launched an investigation into the financial discrepancies.
The CONT committee’s draft opinion, authored by chair Niclas Herbst from the European People’s Party (EPP), suggests that the PfE group is liable for the alleged fiscal misconduct, largely because it includes many former members of the ID group. This includes not only members from the ID group but also parties like Hungary’s Fidesz and Spain’s Vox, which did not belong to ID. The opinion will be voted on in the committee, and a large majority approval is anticipated. It calls for a thorough exploration by Parliament’s legal and financial services regarding the potential for civil action against the external auditors who approved the ID group’s accounts, highlighting the implications of economic continuity in regard to responsibility for debts.
Herbst emphasized the desire for the Parliament to recover the misallocated funds, asserting that the CONT committee holds the stance that groups should not be able to evade responsibility by simply rebranding themselves. He elaborated that while the committee cannot definitively declare the PfE as the successor to the ID group, it advocates for an interpretation of economic continuity to be applied. According to Parliament’s established rules, a political group can be considered a successor if certain criteria are met, including the movement of a significant number of former members to the new group and the transfer of crucial assets such as bank accounts and IT systems.
The notion of continuity between the ID and PfE groups is backed by evidence observed by the CONT committee, which notes that the PfE’s Secretary-General and several senior staff replicate those from the dissolved ID group. Furthermore, a substantial majority of PfE’s members previously served in the ID group, reinforcing the claim that the two entities maintain a considerable linkage. The committee’s findings also indicate a legal continuity between the political parties, pointing out that the ID Party recently rebranded as Patriots.eu, further solidifying this connection.
Following the CONT committee’s recommendations, the final decision will rest with the Parliament’s Bureau, which includes President Roberta Metsola and various vice-presidents and quaestors. Interestingly, no additional confirmation is necessary from the Parliament’s Plenary, which may expedite the process. The PfE group, however, has labeled the committee’s opinion as a “baseless witch hunt,” asserting that the contention that they are the successor entity to the ID group is unfounded and politically motivated. Tamás Deutsch, the CONT coordinator for PfE, publicly shared this sentiment, emphasizing their belief in the legitimacy of their claims against the committee’s findings.
The intricate interplay of politics and finance in the European Parliament continues to unfold, particularly as the scrutiny over the misuse of funds intensifies. The recommendations by the CONT committee raise critical questions about accountability and continuity in political structures, especially concerning the potential liabilities that can be waived by rebranding or restructuring. This case exemplifies the ongoing debate on the responsibilities of political entities in Europe, particularly among groups that share ideological and personnel ties, thereby challenging the very essence of governance and financial oversight within the framework of the European Union.
