A report published by French outlet Mediapart has attributed antisemitic and conspiracy-theory statements to Jordan Bardella, president of France’s National Rally (RN), in private correspondence from 2013 to 2015, at the beginning of his political career.
Mediapart says it has reviewed dozens of written documents and checked their authenticity over several months. The alleged statements reportedly included references to “Jewish dominance” and a “new world order” under Israeli control. The claims were reported on 28 September 2026; the report is available here.
Bardella categorically rejected the allegations, describing the documents as “crude forgeries” and instructing his lawyer to file a lawsuit against Mediapart. Marine Le Pen defended him, calling the publication an attempt to discredit the presidential campaign.
The controversy comes as the RN has spent several years seeking to distance its current leadership from the antisemitic legacy associated with the party’s founder, Jean-Marie Le Pen. If the documents were authenticated, they could challenge Bardella’s established image as a moderate politician. Critics could also argue that his current rhetoric reflects political expediency rather than a change in underlying views. These remain allegations and interpretations, not established facts.
The report may also complicate the RN’s effort to present its leadership and senior figures as having moved away from the xenophobic and conspiratorial views associated with the party’s past. The available material does not establish whether current party officials or its broader leadership have abandoned such beliefs.
