Jordan Bardella admits Jean-Marie Le Pen made ‘highly anti-Semitic comments’

Contrary to his previous statements on this matter. National Rally (RN) President Jordan Bardella admitted on Thursday that Jean-Marie Le Pen, the patriarch of the French far right, had made “highly anti-Semitic” remarks in his life.

“Jean-Marie Le Pen was found guilty of anti-Semitism. Jean-Marie Le Pen’s words were highly anti-Semitic,” Jordan Bardella said on BFMTV during his European election debate with the head of the Macronist list, Valerie Heyer.

“But if you are again, ten years later, calling for help from Jean-Marie Le Pen, it is probably because you have nothing to say about what interests our fellow citizens,” he told his opponent, who asked him. him to declare that “Jean-Marie Le Pen has been a disgrace” to his political party “for 50 years.”

Previous “clumsiness”

Jordan Bardella, head of the PH list and big favorite in the June 9 European elections, was forced to admit last November’s “embarrassment” after he confirmed a few days earlier that he “didn’t think Jean-Marie Le Pen was an enemy of the party.” Semitic.” “Jean-Marie Le Pen is obviously mired in anti-Semitism,” he said at the time.

He added that Marine Le Pen, the likely RN candidate in the 2027 presidential election, broke politically with her father in 2015.

The head of the National Rally list and his Macronist rival Valerie Heyer clashed in their first face-to-face meeting of the European campaign. The two candidates in particular clashed over issues of security, the war in Ukraine, immigration and even the occupation of universities by students mobilized in Gaza.