Jordan Bardella’s European election campaign accounts challenged over wine and champagne expenses

Tuesday 11 August 2026 - 07:15

By: Sahili Aya

Jordan Bardella’s European election campaign accounts challenged over wine and champagne expenses

Jordan Bardella has faced a setback over the financial accounts of his 2024 European Parliament election campaign, after French authorities rejected hundreds of thousands of euros in declared expenses, including several purchases of wine and champagne.

The decision means the president of the Rassemblement National will not receive full reimbursement for the campaign costs he submitted.

Bardella declared total campaign expenses of €4.12 million. Of that amount, €235,034 was deemed non-compliant by France's National Commission for Campaign Accounts and Political Financing, according to the information provided.

Wine and champagne among disputed expenses

Most of the expenses challenged by the authorities relate to travel costs and restaurant bills linked to the campaign.

However, the review also identified spending on bottles of wine and champagne, with several hundred euros reportedly allocated to such purchases.

The inclusion of alcohol-related expenses has attracted particular attention because campaign expenditure is subject to strict rules governing which costs can qualify for reimbursement.

The court's decision illustrates the detailed scrutiny applied to political campaign accounts, where individual expenses can be rejected even when they represent only a small fraction of the overall budget.

€235,034 in expenses deemed non-compliant

The disputed sum represents only part of Bardella's declared campaign spending, but it is significant in the context of France's rules governing the financing of electoral campaigns.

The authorities examined the expenses submitted after the European Parliament election held in 2024 and determined that €235,034 did not meet the applicable requirements.

As a result, Bardella's campaign accounts will not be reimbursed in full.

The rejected expenses include a range of costs rather than being limited to purchases of wine and champagne. Travel and restaurant-related spending account for a substantial portion of the items questioned.

Political campaign finances under scrutiny

The case highlights the strict controls surrounding political financing in France, where candidates and parties must document their spending and comply with regulations governing campaign reimbursements.

For Bardella, the decision adds a financial dimension to the scrutiny surrounding the campaign of one of France's most prominent political figures.

The disputed wine and champagne purchases are relatively small compared with the total amount challenged, but their inclusion has drawn attention because of the nature of the expenses and the restrictions governing the use of campaign funds.

The ruling serves as a reminder that campaign accounts can be examined down to individual purchases, with candidates potentially denied reimbursement for expenses considered unrelated, insufficiently justified or otherwise incompatible with electoral financing rules.