Jordan Bardella, the president of France’s far‑right National Rally, has announced he will sue the left‑leaning news site Mediapart for libel after the outlet published claims that he made antisemitic remarks in 2013.
Mediapart said it had spent several months investigating dozens of written conversations that allegedly showed Bardella making statements that were “blatantly antisemitic,” but it provided no screen‑grabs of the comments.
According to the site, the evidence comes from a “bigger documentary base corroborated by witness statements.” The alleged remarks included claims that all banks are owned by Jews, that Jews must dominate and rob others, and that a new world order will be ruled by Israel with Jerusalem as its capital.
Bardella, 31, says the allegations are a fabrication designed to destroy his political career. He described the attack as the “beginnings of a total war” aimed at destabilising his party and his campaign for the upcoming presidential election.
Marine Le Pen echoed his frustrations, dismissing the comments as “so weird that they can only be a forgery.” She accused Mediapart of running an operation or being manipulated by “interested parties.”
The far‑right party has seen a surge in opinion polls, with Le Pen positioned to face a second round against the radical left’s Jean‑Luc Mélenchon. Bardella’s own potential as prime minister is being highlighted as the RN’s chances of winning the presidency rise.
Calls for Bardella’s resignation have come from left‑wing politicians and the Jewish umbrella organisation Crif, whose head said the remarks demonstrate the limits of the RN’s “clean‑up act.”
RN deputy Jean‑Philippe Tanguy responded that the source of the allegations is ex‑members expelled years ago for antisemitic ideas, suggesting a long‑term vendetta against the party.
In the broader context, the RN has been actively distancing itself from its far‑right roots, with Bardella last year being invited to Israel for a conference on antisemitism. The party’s stance on militant Islam and its portrayal as a “shield for the Jewish community” have been highlighted as attempts to mainstream itself.
As the presidential campaign enters its final stretch, the controversy threatens to become a flashpoint for France’s political landscape, raising questions about the integrity of far‑right rhetoric and the readiness of the country’s democratic institutions to confront it.
