French Far-Right Leader Jordan Bardella Promises Immigration Referendum If Elected President
Jordan Bardella, leader of France's New Right party and the leading presidential candidate for 2027, is poised to become the youngest president in the history of the French Republic at age 31, breaking Emmanuel Macron's record of 39. Bardella would also be the first millennial leader to hold veto power on the UN Security Council. However, what sets Bardella apart is not just his age or his right-wing European political stance, but his willingness to take political risks to fundamentally change France's governance. He has pledged that if elected, he will seek public approval through a referendum on new immigration laws, marking the first time since Charles de Gaulle's approval of the Fifth Republic's constitution that a president would directly ask the French people to mandate such a change.
This approach reflects Bardella's broader perspective on democratic legitimacy, contrasting with the current French and Israeli political leadership's reluctance to transfer decisive power to the public. The article highlights the failure of Israeli Justice Minister Yariv Levin to pass judicial reforms through parliamentary means and suggests that ultimate authority should rest with the people, especially in critical constitutional matters. It cites historical examples from Italy, Spain, and the UK where referendums resolved major national turning points.
In Israel, ongoing disputes over judicial appointments and authority underscore the need for public involvement. Supreme Court President Isaac Amit has expressed skepticism about politicians' ability to select judges effectively, implying that recent laws transferring this power to elected officials may not endure. The article calls on Levin to respect Supreme Court rulings but to propose legislation enabling referendums on fundamental issues if the court blocks parliamentary reforms. It concludes that if right-wing politicians fail to enact reforms through standard parliamentary processes, they should "return the keys to the owner", the people, and allow them to decide directly through referendums.
