Bardella denies antisemitic remarks after French far-right party rocked by report

France's far-right National Rally (RN) party is embroiled in controversy after investigative outlet Mediapart reported that its president, Jordan Bardella, made antisemitic remarks in private messages between 2013 and 2015. Bardella, who was 17 at the time of the earliest alleged exchanges, has vehemently denied the accusations, characterizing them as a "total war" effort to sabotage Marine Le Pen's 2027 presidential bid.

According to Mediapart, the authenticated private messages allegedly show Bardella promoting conspiracy theories involving Jewish control of banks and a "new world order dominated by Israel." The outlet also cited a former head of the RN's youth wing who claimed Bardella showed interest in theories about Adolf Hitler's survival. Bardella has been instrumental in attempting to soften the RN's image and appeal to younger voters, including courting Israel and speaking out against antisemitism.

Marine Le Pen, the former RN leader and a favorite in the upcoming presidential election, has publicly backed Bardella, expressing "total confidence" in him and warning that opponents would resort to "disgusting things" to undermine their campaign.