In brief
Bardella, the 31‑year‑old president of France’s National Rally, has announced a libel lawsuit against Mediapart following allegations that he posted antisemitic comments as a 17‑year‑old activist. The investigative outlet said it had authenticated the excerpts from 2013 messages, calling the remarks “a complete fabrication” aimed at humiliating the party before the presidential election. Bardella accused the press of collusion and threatened legal action, while Marine Le Pen reaffirmed her confidence in him. The News outlet noted the hard‑right’s continued rise in polls, even as critics call the alleged comments a remnant of extremist ideology. The case highlights the fracture within the RN as it distances itself from its antisemitic roots while confronting a broader political challenge.
Jordan Bardella, the president of France’s hard‑right National Rally (RN), has announced that he will sue Mediapart for libel after the outlet alleged that he made antisemitic remarks as a young activist in 2013.
Mediapart published the alleged comments on the basis of a months‑long investigation into a collection of private messages, claiming that the statements were authentic and “independently authenticated” by witness statements, but it offered no screenshots.
Bardella described the allegations as a campaign to discredit his political career, stating that “everything is going to be done to destabilise the campaign” and that Mediapart may be acting on orders from “interested parties.” He instructed his lawyer to file a claim that the reporting was defamatory.
Marine Le Pen, who is leading the RN in opinion polls for the 2027 presidential election, denied the allegations, calling the supposed remarks “so weird that they can only be a forgery.” She praised Bardella’s leadership and accused former hard‑right members of spreading disinformation.
The contested remarks, according to Mediapart, include statements such as “All the banks are owned by Jews,” “The Jew has to dominate other people, crush them and rob them” and “What they want is a new world order dominated by Israel, with Jerusalem as its capital.”
The RN has been trying to distance itself from its far‑right roots, especially its historic ties to antisemitism, while simultaneously positioning itself as a defender of the Jewish community against Islamist extremism. Despite efforts to reform, critics say the party still harbours lingering extremist elements, as highlighted by the recent allegations.
The elevation of the RN in the latest polls, with Marine Le Pen potentially winning the first round with 35‑36 per cent of the vote, underscores the far‑right’s growing influence in French politics. The controversy will likely intensify scrutiny of Bardella’s past as the campaign moves toward the crucial second round in May.
