French Far-Right Leader Accused of Antisemitic Remarks

A French investigative journalism website, Mediapart, has published a report alleging that Jordan Bardella, the 31-year-old leader of the far-right National Rally party and a close ally of Marine Le Pen, made antisemitic and conspiratorial remarks in private online chats in 2013. Bardella was around 17 or 18 years old at the time, about a year and a half after joining the party then known as the National Front. The report quotes Bardella as writing, "The Jew must dominate other peoples, erase and steal from another people," and "Zionism is necessarily Jewish." Another alleged quote states, "And this is what they want: a new world order dominated by Israel, with Jerusalem as the capital, of course." The report also claims Bardella wrote, "All banks are controlled by Jews." Mediapart stated it verified the remarks but did not specify the platform used for the messages.

The revelations have sparked significant political backlash in France. Yonathan Arfi, president of the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions in France, expressed shock at the severity of the alleged statements, questioning how someone can claim to fight antisemitism while providing a haven for identitarians who spread such rhetoric. Aurore Bergé, the French minister for the fight against discrimination, called the remarks "extremely serious" if confirmed, noting their antisemitic and conspiratorial nature is reminiscent of the "true nature of the extreme right."

Bardella and Le Pen have vehemently denied the accusations, dismissing them as a politically motivated attack. Bardella called the allegations "gross fabrications" and announced his intention to take legal action, with his lawyer reportedly filing a defamation suit. Le Pen defended her ally, stating she believes the attributed remarks are untrue and accused Mediapart of "dirty tricks."

The controversy comes at a sensitive time for the National Rally, as Bardella is a key figure in Le Pen's efforts to "clean up" the party's image and distance it from the antisemitic legacy of her father. Bardella visited Israel last year as part of these image-polishing efforts. The allegations surface as Le Pen's standing for the 2027 presidential election appears strong, with recent polls showing her leading in the first round and projected to win a second-round runoff. The party also recently achieved a significant milestone by securing enough seats in the Senate to form a group for the first time.