Rassemblement National faces campaign financing hurdles in France

Jordan Bardella, president of the Rassemblement National (RN), has reported that no French banks have yet agreed to provide loans for the party’s presidential campaign. Speaking at an agricultural fair in Châlons-en-Champagne, Bardella called on the banking system to act with “responsibility,” noting that other candidates, such as Édouard Philippe, have already secured financing.

The party’s difficulty in securing domestic loans follows previous reliance on foreign lenders, including a Russian institution in 2017 and a Hungarian bank in 2022. Current laws prohibit parties from taking loans from outside the European Economic Area, a restriction exacerbated by the war in Ukraine. Bardella indicated that the party may seek “alternative solutions” abroad if domestic options remain unavailable.

Bank reluctance is attributed to reputational risks and ongoing legal issues involving the party, specifically regarding European Parliament assistants. In response to these financing challenges, the government is reportedly considering the creation of a banking “pool” to distribute the risks associated with campaign financing.