French Far-Right Leader Fires Back After Antisemitic Accusations

Tue Sep 29 2026 15:51:34 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Jordan Bardella vows to sue over alleged 2013 antisemitic remarks, defends his record, and calls the accusations a political attack ahead of France’s presidential race.

National Rally president Jordan Bardella has threatened legal action after Mediapart published a series of alleged antisemitic comments from 2013. Bardella denies the statements, calling them a fabrication designed to sabotage his party’s campaign. The far-right group, led by Marine Le Pen, has been in the spotlight as it gains polling numbers despite its past controversies. Supporters claim the accusations are part of a broader smear campaign, while critics highlight the historical roots of anti‑Jewish rhetoric within the movement. The controversy underscores the delicate balance the National Rally tries to maintain between hard‑right rhetoric and a modernized political image.

Jordan Bardella says he will sue after Antisemitic allegations surface

The 31‑year‑old president of France’s hard‑right National Rally (RN) walked out of a TV studio this week after investigative website Mediapart published a trove of allegedly antisemitic remarks he made in 2013. Bardella called the claims “fabricated” and threatened a libel suit against the publication.

Jordan Bardella at a protest — Jordan Bardella at the National Rally rally, 2023.

Mediapart said it had spent months combing through “dozens of written conversations” to confirm the authenticity of the snippets, which include claims that “all banks are owned by Jews” and that “Israel should dominate the world.” The site added that it had corroborated the material with witness statements, but did not publish screenshots.

Bardella’s response was swift. “Everything is going to be done to destabilise the campaign,” he told CNews, adding that either Mediapart was orchestrating the attack or it was being manipulated by “interested parties.” He also said he had already instructed his lawyer to pursue a defamation case.

Marine Le Pen, the RN’s presidential candidate for 2027, backed Bardella’s claim that the allegations were “weird” and likely forged. She called the material a “dirty trick” that in the past has been leveled against the party.

The incident has taken place as the RN climbs the polls, with recent surveys showing Le Pen in the lead with 35‑36 % of the vote in a likely first round, and a projected 69 % in a second‑round showdown against the far‑left candidate Jean‑Luc Mélanchon. Meanwhile, the group is still wresting with its legacy of antisemitism, having opened an Israeli conference in 2022 and now positioning itself as a “shield for the Jewish community” in a bid to reform its image.

The controversy fuels debate about how far the RN can rebrand itself while still drawing on the hard‑right base that powers its popularity. Whether the lawsuit will be successful remains to be seen, but the dispute has already intensified scrutiny of the party’s leadership ahead of the run‑up to France’s pivotal presidential election.