Story perspectives

Mediapart alleges Bardella sent antisemitic messages years ago

By Drooid · Sep 29, 2026, 6:32 PM UTC · How we work

Center

Libel suit filed

French investigative site Mediapart published allegations that National Rally leader Jordan Bardella wrote anti-Semitic comments in private chats between 2013 and 2015.
Bardella announced a libel lawsuit against Mediapart while party leader Marine Le Pen dismissed the claims as dirty tricks.
Mediapart said its report relied on dozens of private exchanges it verified after a months-long investigation.
A poll released Monday showed Marine Le Pen leading the first-round presidential race.

Left

RN Rebranding Threatened

Investigative website Mediapart reported that National Rally leader Jordan Bardella sent anti-Semitic private messages between 2013 and 2015.
Left-leaning coverage emphasizes that the revelations threaten the RN’s rebranding and spark calls for Bardella’s resignation and accountability.
Foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot said antisemitism is a feature of the RN, not an accident.
Equality minister Aurore Bergé called the messages evidence of far-right antisemitic and conspiracy-theory content.

Blindspot

Green party leader Marine Tondelier called for Jordan Bardella’s resignation, while French foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot said antisemitism is a historic feature of the National Rally and equality minister Aurore Bergé called the alleged messages evidence of the far-right’s antisemitic content.
Within this story's sources, this angle appears mainly in Left-leaning coverage and receives less attention in Center-leaning coverage.

History

Historical Context

In 1998, French courts fined National Front founder Jean-Marie Le Pen €1,500 for publicly repeating antisemitic conspiracy theories. The conviction, upheld during President Jacques Chirac’s term, cited Le Pen’s 1995 interview linking Jews to financial manipulation, and imposed a 10,000-franc penalty. Today, Mediapart’s revelation of Jordan Bardella’s 2013-2015 private antisemitic messages echoes Le Pen’s earlier scandal, prompting Marine Le Pen’s legal counterattack and calls for resignation from figures like Aurore Bergé. The pattern demonstrates how historic legal rebukes fail to eradicate far-right antisemitism, foreshadowing intensified scrutiny of the RN ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

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Libel suit filed

French investigative site Mediapart published allegations that National Rally leader Jordan Bardella wrote anti-Semitic comments in private chats between 2013 and 2015.
Bardella announced a libel lawsuit against Mediapart while party leader Marine Le Pen dismissed the claims as dirty tricks.
Mediapart said its report relied on dozens of private exchanges it verified after a months-long investigation.
A poll released Monday showed Marine Le Pen leading the first-round presidential race.

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