As the trial of several National Rally (RN) leaders approaches in the case of the fictitious European parliamentary assistants, new revelations have overwhelmed Jordan Bardella. According to an article in Release Published on Monday 9 September, the president of the RN would have participated in the preparation of false documents concerning his work as a European parliamentary assistant; the latter denouncing a “Attempt at destabilization.”
The article is extracted from the research book. winning machinewhich will be published on September 13 on the RN’s strategy for seizing power, by journalist Tristan Berteloot.
According to the latter, Jordan Bardella, who was for several months in 2015 parliamentary assistant to Jean-François Jalkh, former MEP for RN, was involved in the subsequent production of fictitious and retroactive documents supposedly attesting to tasks carried out on behalf of elected officials that he had not actually carried out. These included outdated press reviews and false agendas.
Release He cites in particular a message from a trainee of Belgian lawyer Ghislain Dubois, who allegedly declared during an exchange on a messaging service with former party members that he had “He created false files for assistants who have never worked for the European Parliament”. Contacted, Mmy Dubois was not immediately available for comment.
Jordan Bardella worked “without any infringement or irregularity, both with regard to the regulations of the European Parliament and French legislation”the RN replied in a press release on Monday.
6.8 million euros in damages
“Their accusations are false and defamatory. Neither the European Parliament nor the French judiciary have criticised the reality of my work. No one will be fooled by this crude attempt at destabilization.”The president of the RN South also reacted
The magistrates suspect that the far-right party has created a “diversion system” envelopes (21,000 euros per month) allocated by the European Union to each MEP to pay parliamentary assistants. In reality, the latter would have worked wholly or partly for the National Front (FN, predecessor of the RN), which would have allowed him to save significant wages. In 2018, the European Parliament estimated his damages at 6.8 million euros.
The accused include Marine Le Pen, Louis Aliot, the current vice-president of the RN, the former number two of the party Bruno Gollnisch, and the MP and spokesman of the far-right party Julien Odoul. Jordan Bardella was not implicated in the investigation that began in March 2015.
“Then we will go to court and say that we have not committed any crime. (…) I am very sure of our innocence”Marine Le Pen repeated on Sunday in Sunday’s TribuneReporting a procedure “deeply unfair”The RN leader is accused of embezzlement of public funds and complicity. In particular, he faces a five-year ban from public office.
