Factsheet: Jordan Bardella

IMPACT: Jordan Bardella is the party chairman of the French far-right National Rally (Rassemblement National) and also the leader of Patriots for Europe (PfE) for the legislative period of 2024 – 2029. In 2024, he ran for the office of the French Prime Minister. Bardella wants to “curb immigration” and warns “against Islamization.” 

Jordan Bardella was born and grew up in Drancy, Seine-Saint-Denis, located northeast of Paris. His mother immigrated from Italy and worked as a Kindergarten assistant. Growing up in the Banlieues, Bardella explains that he was exposed to violence at an early age. A June 2024 Al Jazeera piece explains that “The banlieues, working-class neighbourhoods around Paris that have been demonised by the right wing, are often home to many French citizens with ancestry in Africa.” A July 2024 NPR piece notes that Bardella believes his childhood neighborhood is “being degraded by mass immigration and Islam.”

In November 2024, Bardella published a book which describes his personal journey titled, “What I search” (Ce que je cherche). In a November 2024 Politico article analyzing the book, reporter Victor Goury-Laffont mentions that Bardella “paints an apocalyptic picture of his hometown.” They quote that he describes “the incessant comings and goings of drug dealers, the screams, the noise of automatic weapons, the settling of scores at the foot of buildings, the trafficking, the violence, the assaults, the Islamization” as “a daily reality.”  He uses this background to perpetuate stereotypes demonizing the banlieues, claiming during a 2022 rally that he has “seen these lost areas of the French Republic become conquests of Islamism.” He went on to state, “I have felt, like you and like millions of French citizens, the pain of becoming a foreigner in your own country.” During his childhood, Bardella spent weekends with his father, who lived in a wealthy area in Montmorency, although he does not often discuss this portion of his background. 

Bardella has been involved in the far-right National Rally (Rassemblement National) since his mother permitted him to join the party at the age of 16 in 2012. In 2014, he became the official party representative of Seine-Saint-Denis. He first stepped into the limelight when he suspended his former friend, Maxenxe Buttey after he [Buttey] converted to Islam. From 2017-2019, Bardella served as a spokesperson for the party and solidified his position as Marine Le Pen’s protégé. In 2019, he became the Vice President of the party and served as acting president once Le Pen stepped down to run for president. He was officially elected as president of the party in November 2022.

In addition, in 2019, he became a member of the European Parliament and continues to hold that position today. His influence skyrocketed in 2024 based on his actions in the European Parliament and his unsuccessful efforts to secure himself as the French Prime Minister in the snap elections in July of 2024. Roger Cohen of the New York Times wrote, “He has recast — some would say sugarcoated — the angry message of the nationalist right so effectively that there is talk of “Bardellamania.”

Bardella’s campaign strategies, especially on social media, portray him as courteous, charismatic, youthful, and energetic. Valérie Pecresse, a former presidential candidate for Les Republicains, described him as “brilliant” and “intelligent.” He is also active on TikTok, amassing over 1 million followers. Bardella is particularly popular among young voters who have been historically against the far-right. According to a 2024 Reuters piece, “Emile Chabal, professor of contemporary history at the University of Edinburgh, said Bardella and Le Pen had detoxified the RN by retooling it as the party of the working class.” In addition, according to an April 2024 survey conducted for Le Monde, 32% of 18-24 year olds planned to vote for Bardella in the June 9th elections, a staggering increase in youth support for the RN. 

Following the 2024 electoral victory of his National Rally in the European Parliamentary elections, gaining 31.4% percent of the votes and 30 seats, Bardella became the president of the Patriots for Europe (PfE) coalition, a group founded by Hungary’s Victor Orban together with Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis and Austrian far-right leader Herbert Kickl. The group is also home to the Dutch Party for Freedom (PVV), Portugal’s far-right Chega party, and Spain’s Vox. The Patriots for Europe is the third-largest group ahead of the tenth European Parliament (2024-2029). Bardella said he hopes to “represent hope for the tens of millions of citizens in the European Nations who value their identity, their sovereignty and their freedom” in this role.   

In 2024, a piece by France 24 stated that “Bardella’s carefully curated story has added to smoothing the image of the RN.” However, the same article notes that while his public image has garnered popular support for the party, “Bardella has not revolutionised the party’s belief system, experts point out, but he is still giving his party a youthful vibe.” Significantly, the RN has a long history of Islamophobia, antisemitism, racism, xenophobia, homophobia, and misogyny. 

Bardella considers Islamism to be a severe threat to France, and he often critiques Islam publicly. On January 16, 2025, he stated on X, “I want the Islamic veil to be banned at university and on school trips.” In a 2023 article he wrote, “The time has come to defend secularism against its real enemies… the Islamist preachers who know nothing other than the Law of their prophets.” Bardella has been accused of having an “anti-Muslim agenda” after making assertions that “In France, women do not wear the veil.” 

His arguments to limit immigration seek to keep France more homogenous. As described in his potential agenda as Prime Minister, one of his main focuses is “to preserve the French people from migratory submersion.”  He has been accused of promoting the “Great Replacement conspiracy theory,” attempting to weed out minority populations in favor of nativism. A June 2024 piece by Dr. Alain Gabon for Middle East Eye warned that “With the far right in power, it [France] will become even more toxic.”  

Bardella’s agenda has received criticism from Muslim communities as he has amassed popularity. A July 2024 piece by Samia Lokmane for Middle East Eye reveals that Bardella’s policy positions and beliefs have caused fear amongst the French Muslim communities. Lokmane interviewed a woman living in Evry-Courcouronne, who states, “Muslims are constantly called out. Le Pen and Bardella insult us every day and accuse us of all evils. Once in power, RN politicians will set themselves against us.” Additionally, Human Rights groups in France have also criticized Bardella’s rhetoric and policies. The president of the NGO Sihem Zine observes that with the rise of the far right, “The destiny of France, but also that of Muslims and ethnic minorities, is now at stake.” The International League against Racism and Anti-Semitism (LICRA) states, “the racists are waiting for their big night and are impatient. The RN is releasing hatred.” Lastly, the National Consultative Commission on Human Rights (CNCDH) noted an exponential uptick of racist acts, constituting a 32% increase from 2022. As reported by the Middle East Eye, the CNCDH signals to the RN for this increase.

On an international level, Bardella has been open about his support for Israel. Currently, the RN does not recognize Palestine as a legitimate state. Before the summer 2024 elections for Prime Minister, Bardella said he would continue this stance if in office, framing his position as fighting antisemitism. In June 2024, Dr. Alain Gabon warned that, “A France with a National Rally prime minister and government means a complete abandonment by the executive of the cause of Palestine.”