Was the National Rally financed by Russian companies?
It is the accusation of the ecologist deputy Julien Bayou who sent, Wednesday, a report to the public prosecutor of Paris in this direction.
The financing of the RN by Russian companies could, according to him, constitute “illegal political party financing” and “illegal taking of interest”.
In his report by mail under article 40 of the code of criminal procedure, Julien Bayou starts from a declaration on September 18 on LCI by the former French ambassador to Russia Jean-Maurice Ripert, according to which "a certain number of French politicians, of a certain stripe, came and did not leave empty-handed".
Press information as evidence
The former national secretary of EELV then relies on the US State Department, which claims that Russia has spent at least $300 million since 2014 to influence elections through political parties and candidates.
It also lists several press reports reporting relations between the far-right party and companies close to the Kremlin.
Julien Bayou mentions in particular a company that bought the loan initially contracted with a bank: "According to the statements of the treasurer of the RN, Wallerand de Saint Just, in the press, the members of this company presented themselves as acting on the orders of the Russian power.
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An agreement reached before the Russian courts in 2020 "allows the RN to stagger its debt until 2028 in order to be able to repay this loan and thus allows it to avoid cessation of payment", writes the ecologist, who denounces a distorted competition “This situation creates a real imbalance between the parties having to repay their maturities quickly, in accordance with French law, and those who must
submit
to the arbitration of a much more favorable Russian court decision… and subservient to the Kremlin”.
The RN evokes a "pack of gossip"
Julien Bayou suspects that the links between Russia and the RN, "numerous and documented", in reality include "financial counterparties to positions favorable to Russia", for example on the Ukrainian file.
Justice must rule on these accusations of "illegal financing of a political party, illegal financing of electoral campaign(s), embezzlement of public funds, misuse of corporate assets and/or illegal taking of interests and influence peddling “, Estimates the deputy of Paris.
“The RN has no fear about the collection of gossip that this report constitutes”, reacted the entourage of Marine Le Pen.
He recalls that the RN group in the National Assembly obtained, thanks to its "right to draw", a commission of inquiry into foreign interference in French political life.