Latest news with #JordanBardella
BreakingNews.ie
3 days ago
- Business
- BreakingNews.ie
Soft-focus interview positions Bardella as leader-in-waiting of France's far-right
Jordan Bardella, the 29-year-old wunderkind of France's far right National Rally (RN), says he grew up wanting to be Superman, or James Bond. These days, he dreams of marrying a tall brunette with a strong personality. Mr Bardella was profiled on "An Intimate Ambition", a Sunday night primetime TV show short on tough political questions but long on the kind of personal vignettes that could broaden his appeal for 2027, when he could well be the RN's presidential candidate at the expense of his mentor, Marine Le Pen. Advertisement She and Bardella have forged one of France's most formidable political tag teams in recent years, fusing her experience with his youthful drive to transform the once-taboo RN into France's largest single parliamentary party. But the woman once widely seen as a front-runner for 2027 has seen her chances of contesting a fourth presidential election collapse after receiving a five-year political ban in March for party financing offences. Far-right rift? She has appealed and insists she remains the RN's 2027 candidate. But Mr Bardella, who spearheaded the RN's parliamentary election campaign last year, has been quick to say he will run if she cannot, and the French press has been awash with speculation about a rift. Stephane Rozes, head of the political consultancy Cap, said Ms Le Pen's ban had boosted the RN's free-market wing, who prefer Mr Bardella's pro-business views to her more statist, socially oriented policies. Advertisement "The uncertainties surrounding the candidacy have sharpened the differences in approach," Mr Rozes said. Audience data suggested over a million people watched Sunday's show, which presented a softer, more approachable version of Mr Bardella, featuring teary chats with his parents and workouts in the gym. Recent trips to the United States, Israel and Abu Dhabi appear designed to counter suggestions that Mr Bardella lacks foreign policy experience. Real or imagine, Le Pen-Bardella rivalry looms Several opinion polls taken since Ms Le Pen's conviction have put her neck-and-neck with Mr Bardella in a putative 2027 first-round vote, suggesting voters do not view her as irreplaceable. Advertisement Ms Le Pen has become increasingly prickly about Mr Bardella. Last week, during a visit to the restive French overseas territory of New Caledonia, she sneered: "I'm not sure Jordan knows New Caledonia's problems very well." "I assure you," Mr Bardella replied the same day, "I understand the overseas issues very well." RN officials dismiss talk of tensions. "The media are on the lookout for a statement from Marine or Jordan to support the story they're imagining," said RN lawmaker and spokesperson Laurent Jacobelli. "They support each other, and I don't think the rumours affect our leaders." There have been consistent rumours of a feud between Jordan Bardella and Marine Le Pen. Photo: AFP via Getty Images Louis Aliot, RN mayor of the southern city of Perpignan, said Ms Le Pen's focus on New Caledonia demonstrated how they complemented each other. Advertisement "Marine has been following the New Caledonia situation for almost 20 years," he said. "Jordan has never been there. That means he doesn't know it like she does." But while RN officials deny the idea of a rift in private too, they acknowledge Ms Le Pen may be unable to overturn her ban, and say Mr Bardella would be a formidable candidate. "Either can win," said a senior RN official, declining to be named. In "An Intimate Ambition", which was filmed before Ms Le Pen's conviction, Mr Bardella was coy about 2027, but less so about his competitiveness in sport. "I really like to win," he said. "I don't like to lose."
Reuters
3 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
France's Jordan Bardella shows his softer side as rumours of far-right rivalry swirl
PARIS, June 3 (Reuters) - Jordan Bardella, the 29-year-old wunderkind of France's far right National Rally (RN), says he grew up wanting to be Superman, or James Bond. These days, he dreams of marrying a tall brunette with a strong personality. Bardella was profiled on "An Intimate Ambition", a Sunday night primetime TV show short on tough political questions but long on the kind of personal vignettes that could broaden his appeal for 2027, when he could well be the RN's presidential candidate at the expense of his mentor, Marine Le Pen. She and Bardella have forged one of France's most formidable political tag teams in recent years, fusing her experience with his youthful drive to transform the once-taboo RN into France's largest single parliamentary party. But the woman once widely seen as a front-runner for 2027 has seen her chances of contesting a fourth presidential election collapse after receiving a five-year political ban in March for party financing offences. She has appealed and insists she remains the RN's 2027 candidate. But Bardella, who spearheaded the RN's parliamentary election campaign last year, has been quick to say he will run if she cannot, and the French press has been awash with speculation about a rift. Stephane Rozes, head of the political consultancy Cap, said Le Pen's ban had boosted the RN's free-market wing, who prefer Bardella's pro-business views to her more statist, socially oriented policies. "The uncertainties surrounding the candidacy have sharpened the differences in approach," Rozes said. Audience data suggested over a million people watched Sunday's show, which presented a softer, more approachable version of Bardella, featuring teary chats with his parents and workouts in the gym. Recent trips to the United States, Israel and Abu Dhabi appear designed to counter suggestions that Bardella lacks foreign policy experience. Several opinion polls taken since Le Pen's conviction have put her neck-and-neck with Bardella in a putative 2027 first-round vote, suggesting voters do not view her as irreplaceable. Le Pen has become increasingly prickly about Bardella. Last week, during a visit to the restive French overseas territory of New Caledonia, she sneered: "I'm not sure Jordan knows New Caledonia's problems very well." "I assure you," Bardella replied the same day, "I understand the overseas issues very well." RN officials dismiss talk of tensions. "The media are on the lookout for a statement from Marine or Jordan to support the story they're imagining," said RN lawmaker and spokesperson Laurent Jacobelli. "They support each other, and I don't think the rumours affect our leaders." Louis Aliot, RN mayor of the southern city of Perpignan, said Le Pen's focus on New Caledonia demonstrated how they complemented each other. "Marine has been following the New Caledonia situation for almost 20 years," he said. "Jordan has never been there. That means he doesn't know it like she does." But while RN officials deny the idea of a rift in private too, they acknowledge Le Pen may be unable to overturn her ban, and say Bardella would be a formidable candidate. "Either can win," said a senior RN official, declining to be named. In "An Intimate Ambition", which was filmed before Le Pen's conviction, Bardella was coy about 2027, but less so about his competitiveness in sport. "I really like to win," he said. "I don't like to lose."
LeMonde
22-05-2025
- Politics
- LeMonde
French election authorities scrutinize Jordan Bardella's 2024 European campaign funding
A few lines in an official document could have significant consequences for Jordan Bardella, the president of the Rassemblement National party (RN, far right) and a potential candidate for the French presidential election in 2027, should his mentor Marine Le Pen be unable to run. The leader of the far right is under scrutiny by the National Commission for Campaign Accounts and Political Financing for a series of loans taken out during his campaign for the European elections in June 2024, according to public documents analyzed by Le Monde. The RN has accumulated a number of cases involving the circumvention of political financing rules over the past 15 years. New cases continue to emerge, despite the setbacks in court. In March, Le Pen and several party officials were convicted in the case of the party's fake European parliamentary assistant jobs. In 2023, the RN was also fined for inflating costs for campaign materials and improperly using public funds to cover the expenses in the 2012 parliamentary elections. This time, the Commission is focusing on loans Bardella secured from individuals, totaling nearly €4.5 million. The authority overseeing the integrity of elections in France has been closely monitoring the issue since it identified irregularities in the accounts of other RN candidates in several elections between 2021 and 2023. However, it cannot independently verify the true origin of the funds officially lent to candidates, as reiterated by its president, Jean-Philippe Vachia.
Times
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
‘French Oprah' coaxes out politicians' softer side — for better or worse
Millions of television viewers will watch Marine Le Pen's protégé Jordan Bardella shed a tear when his father publicly declares that he loves him on a pre-recorded chat show to air next month. Bardella is one of several French politicians who have done heart-to-heart interviews with Karine Le Marchand, who is often described as France's answer to Oprah Winfrey. In the programme, Ambition intime (Intimate Ambition), Gérald Darmanin, the tough-talking justice minister, also reveals his softer side by acknowledging that his mother still buys his underwear and socks. Bardella, president of the hard-right National Rally party, denies being an obsessive germaphobe but admits that he always cleans his shower with a squeegee after he uses it. Journalists were invited to a preview of the show's
Morocco World
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Morocco World
Macron's Party Proposes Ban on Hijab for Girls Under 15 in Public
Rabat – French President Emmanuel Macron's political party, Renaissance, has proposed a new law that would ban girls under 15 from wearing hijab, the Muslim headscarf, in public places. The proposal comes as the French government reviews a report about the influence of 'political Islamism' in the country. The report warns that groups like the Muslim Brotherhood could be a threat to France's unity and democratic values. Renaissance said the hijab 'seriously harms gender equality and the protection of children.' The party also wants to introduce a 'criminal offence for coercion against parents who force their underage daughters to wear the veil.' Under the proposal, girls under 15 would not be allowed to wear the hijab in public spaces such as streets, parks, cafes, or shops. France already has strict laws on religious symbols. Civil servants, teachers, and students in public schools are not allowed to wear visible religious items like Christian crosses, Jewish kippas, Sikh turbans, or Muslim hijabs. The government is also working on a new law to ban hijab in sports competitions. France, which holds one of the largest Muslim populations in Europe, has repeatedly come under fire for its anti-hijab policies and was accused of Islamophobia . One of the most controversial policies was several French towns' decision to ban burkinis in public pools. Supporters of the new proposal say it will protect children and defend France's secular traditions, while critics argue it targets Muslim girls and women unfairly. Many say wearing the hijab is part of their religion and should be a personal choice. Since the recent proposal was announced, Jordan Bardella, leader of the far-right National Rally (RN), accused Renaissance party chair Gabriel Attal of changing his opinion on the hijab. He shared a video from 2022 where Attal warned that banning the hijab could lead to discrimination against Muslim women, especially under a government led by far-right leader Marine Le Pen. During her 2022 presidential campaign, Le Pen called for a complete ban on hijabs in all public places. Renaissance is part of a minority government and does not hold a majority in parliament, so the future of the proposal – although alarming to all Muslims and those hoping for religious freedom in France – is not certain. Tags: FranceHijabhijab banMacron
