Most French View Bardella Allegations With Concern in Ifop Poll

A large majority of French say alleged antisemitic comments made by Jordan Bardella, the head of the far-right National Rally, would be a serious matter if proven true, according to an opinion poll.

While 26% of French don’t see the comments mattering much if true, 74% say the allegations would be serious, according to an Ifop poll for LCI television. More than a fifth have a rather worse opinion of Bardella, compared with 72% who say their view hasn’t changed, according to the survey of 1,000 adults conducted Oct. 6 and Oct. 7.

Scrutiny is mounting on the fallout from the so-called Bardella affair as France nears elections next year. Presidential candidate Marine Le Pen has reasserted her hold on the National Rally party since courts cleared her to run for the highest office, with differences in policy and style with her protege Bardella emerging in public view. Tensions between the two have increased since the Mediapart report.

Read More: Le Pen Pushes Protege Aside to Assert Control Over Far Right

According to the online news site, the remarks were made in writing between 2013 and 2015 in private conversations. Mediapart said they were authenticated independently. Bardella, one of France’s most popular politicians, has repeatedly denied the allegations and asked his lawyer to file a lawsuit against the site.

In an LCI interview Thursday, Bardella dismissed speculation that members of the National Rally might be behind an effort aimed at unseating him.

“Politics is a true ordeal, especially as one approaches an election as significant as the presidential race,” Bardella said. “The higher you climb toward the summit, the harder the wind blows. If some hoped — as was undoubtedly the goal — to see me brought to my knees by this affair, then they were mistaken.”

Mediapart’s claims are at odds with Le Pen’s effort for more than a decade distance the party from past racist and antisemitic comments. The party was founded by her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, who was convicted of racism and Holocaust denial.

Read More: French Media Issues Details of Bardella Antisemitism Claim

Bardella faced a backlash after a 2023 interview in which he said he didn’t believe that Jean-Marie Le Pen was antisemitic. He backpedaled a few days later, conceding “a blunder” on his part.