Jordan Bardella, 28 years old, led the French far-right to a historic rise in the European elections on Sunday, marking another success for the man whom Marine Le Pen intends to appoint as Prime Minister if she reaches the Élysée in 2027. Bardella is known for his anti-immigration stance, especially against Muslims, despite his Arab roots, as his paternal grandmother has Algerian origins. His grandfather, named "Mohamed Saiid Mda," came to France from the Kabylie region in the 1930s to work in construction.
Bardella was born on September 13, 1995, in a suburb of Paris. He was elected president of the far-right "National Rally" party on November 5, 2022, succeeding Marine Le Pen, daughter of the party's founder Jean-Marie Le Pen. Bardella received about 85% of the party supporters' votes and is the first person to lead the party outside the Le Pen family, which has dominated it since its founding in 1972. He believes that Muslims pose a threat to the future of France and the French, subscribing to the theory of the "great replacement."
French President Emmanuel Macron reaffirmed on Monday, a day after announcing the dissolution of the National Assembly, his confidence in "the ability of the French" to make "the best choice" during the early legislative elections scheduled in three weeks. Macron announced the dissolution of the National Assembly and the organization of new legislative elections following the historic victory of the far-right in the European elections, which surpassed the presidential majority significantly. Bardella secured 32% of the votes, according to Ipsos and Ifop, delivering a strong blow to Macron's camp in the European elections, achieving his party's best national election result, and significantly contributing to the rise of national and sovereignty forces in the European Parliament.
In 2016, Bardella founded the "Young Nationalists" group to persuade residents of the suburbs to vote for Marine Le Pen in the presidential elections. Five years after his first candidacy for the European elections in 2019, Bardella systematically leveraged the political and media landscape, driven by his talent in debates and speaking to the media. During his candidacy in the 2022 presidential elections, Bardella emerged as one of the leading spokespersons in Le Pen's campaign.
Previously, Bardella expressed interest in the situation in Lebanon, considering Macron's visits to Lebanon as "theatrical" and emphasizing that "what the Lebanese strongly aspire to, especially those who protested in the streets of Beirut, is to stop foreign interventions." He said: "In the face of the health and economic crisis, and after the tragedies that have hit Lebanon, the elites in the country realized that a large portion of the population no longer accepts the status quo and the continued political system that has led to failure. Therefore, I am still convinced of the need for these changes, at least to make Lebanese youth want to stay in the country and work towards securing a new future for themselves."
Bardella's closeness to Le Pen and her family is not only political but also personal, as he shares his life with Nolwenn Olivier, Marine Le Pen's niece. This family connection has led to accusations of favoritism, especially since Marine Le Pen does not hesitate to express her admiration for him.
