Jordan Bardella Responds to Antisemitism Claims with Libel Threat

Tue Sep 29 2026 15:02:43 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

RN president Jordan Bardella vows to sue after Mediapart alleges antisemitic comments from his youth, sparking political backlash ahead of France's presidential race.

Ahead of France’s presidential election, National Rally president Jordan Bardella has announced intentions to sue Mediapart over an expose that alleges he made antisemitic remarks while a teen activist in 2013. The outlet claimed to have authenticated the transcripts, but Bardella dismisses them as a fabrication aimed at undermining his campaign. Marine Le Pen has defended Bardella, calling the allegations a “dirty trick.” The case highlights the far‑right party’s continuing struggle to distance itself from its antisemitic past. The political fallout comes as the RN surges in the polls, positioning Le Pen as a likely front‑runner.

Jordan Bardella Responds to Antisemitism Claims with Libel Threat

The president of France’s hard‑right National Rally (RN), Jordan Bardella, has said he will sue Mediapart after the outlet published a report alleging that the nineteen‑year‑old made antisemitic comments in 2013. The paper said it had authenticated the conversations via independent verification and corroborating witness statements, although it did not release the screenshots.

The accusations, which include statements such as “all banks are owned by Jews” and “the Jew must dominate others, crush them and rob them,” have ignited fresh criticism of the RN. Bardella calls the allegations a coordinated attack designed to sabotage the party’s campaign just one month before France’s presidential elections.

In a televised remark on CNews, Bardella urged his lawyer to file a libel suit and warned that Mediapart might be part of an operation by “interested parties.” Marine Le Pen, the RN’s presidential candidate, echoed Bardella’s stance, describing the claims as a “dirty trick.”

While the RN’s poll numbers have recently surged, the group’s past—particularly its association with antisemitic rhetoric—remains a point of contention. Left‑wing politicians and Jewish organisations have urged Bardella to step down, and the head of the Jewish umbrella organisation Crif called the allegations “a test of the RN’s transformation.” Royal‑Rallières deputy Jean‑Philippe Tanguy suggested the documents might stem from former members who were expelled for extremist views.

As the RN pushes forward ahead of the May run‑off, the controversy underscores the complicated relationship between the party’s public positioning as a “shield for the Jewish community” and its perceived underlying far‑right ideology.