Jordan Bardella’s rapid ascent through French politics has collided with its most serious test yet. The 31-year-old ally of Marine Le Pen is fighting to preserve his career after allegations that he made antisemitic comments as a teenager in 2013.
Only a week earlier, Mr Bardella’s prospects appeared exceptionally bright. Polls suggested Ms Le Pen could finally win the presidency on her fourth attempt, potentially clearing the way for the young leader of her National Rally (RN) party to become prime minister.
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That momentum was shaken on Monday, when the Mediapart website alleged that Mr Bardella had written a series of antisemitic messages in 2013. On Thursday, the news organisation published screenshots that it said showed the messages on Facebook Messenger.
Mr Bardella responded with an aggressive denial. He accused his opponents of waging a “total war” to block the RN’s path to the presidency and said he would sue Mediapart over what he called fabricated material.
Ms Le Pen, however, fell into an unusual silence once the screenshots appeared on Thursday. Her only public response came in a brief statement to La Tribune Dimanche newspaper this weekend: “I have complete confidence in Jordan.”
One analyst believes Marine Le Pen will ‘pull the plug’ on her running mate
Mr Bardella’s combative stance suggests he intends to withstand the storm. His political future may depend on whether Mediapart publishes further allegations — and, above all, on how Ms Le Pen ultimately chooses to respond.
He has played a central role in advancing her “de-demonisation” strategy, designed to distance the party from the toxic legacy of its founder, her father Jean-Marie Le Pen, who was openly antisemitic.
In 2025, Mr Bardella made an unprecedented visit to Israel, becoming the first French far-right leader to do so in an effort to showcase the RN’s revised credentials.
The trip came at the invitation of Amichai Chikli, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hard-right government who has developed relationships with several European far-right parties despite their history of antisemitism.
“Marine Le Pen had to back Jordan Bardella so as not to alienate voters who would not forgive her for abandoning him,” said Erwan Lecoeur, a sociologist who specialises in the far right.
But he added: “My belief is that Marine Le Pen will pull the plug on” Mr Bardella, arguing that every further attempt to defend himself “the deeper he digs himself into a hole – taking the RN down with him”.
The allegations emerged after months of reports about tensions between Mr Bardella and Ms Le Pen, including disagreements over a proposed ban on the Muslim headscarf in public. Despite those strains, the pair had continued to present a united front.
“I don’t think she necessarily has to get rid of him,” said Marta Lorimer, a lecturer in politics at Cardiff University.
“They will try to use whatever they can to defend his position,” she said.
“But my suspicion is if we see Bardella ousted it is not going to be because of this but because of possibly broader tensions with Le Pen. For the time being that does not seem to be the case.”
‘Contaminate the candidate’
Some within the RN are also believed to favour Mr Bardella’s departure, potentially replacing him as Ms Le Pen’s de-facto running mate with another prominent figure. Names suggested include Eric Ciotti, the leader of an allied far-right party, and her niece Marion Marechal, who heads her own extreme-right movement.
Social media has also been filled with speculation that the allegations may have originated inside the RN, prompting an angry search for the “taupe”, or mole.
Mr Bardella has acknowledged the stakes, saying the objective is to “kill my political career”.
His categorical denials have nevertheless exposed him to accusations that he is misleading the public.
“Do we want a prime minister who is not only antisemitic but also lies to the French people in the face of damning evidence?” asked Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin.
Socialist leader Olivier Faure said: “We are dealing with two things here – his antisemitism and lying in politics. Neither is forgivable.”
Yet the RN’s decision to close ranks behind Mr Bardella could create a separate danger for Ms Le Pen, Le Monde warned.
“The RN is closing ranks… in the hope that the storm will pass, at the risk of seeing the discredit attached to Jordan Bardella contaminate the presidential candidate,” it said.
