According to political scientist Erwan Leccœur, the new president of the National Rally is a liege of Marine Le Pen, who embodies “an RN ready to govern”. But, believes the specialist, “it is she who continues to hold the boat and the line”.
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Jordan Bardella, who was elected president of the National Rally on Saturday November 5, “is a tough”according to political scientist and far-right specialist Erwan Lecœur. “He is someone who in his youth was close to the identitarians. He will allow Marine Le Pen to appear more conciliatory, popular and on economic and social subjects while he continues to talk about identity, immigration and security.
franceinfo: Jordan Bardella is 27 years old. What does it change ?
Erwan Lecoeur: Basically, this will not change anything since Jordan Bardella is truly the liege man, chosen by Marine Le Pen to succeed him at the head of the party. She chose it to impose the idea that a new generation is coming to the RN and that it wants power. This is what Marine Le Pen herself wanted when she arrived, unlike Jean-Marie Le Pen who never really thought he would get power through the ballot box. Today, she thinks it is possible. For that, she needs to be surrounded by serious, solid people, who wear ties, and who are a little less exuberant than those who surrounded Jean-Marie Le Pen. In this way, Jordan Bardella and others around her much better embody an RN ready to rule if she wins the election in 2027.
After the racist incident in the National Assembly, does Jordan Bardella have a more civilized image ?
Yes and no. In reality, Jordan Bardella isn’t the most polished of the bunch. He is even someone who, in his youth, was rather close to the identities. Today, he knows some people around Éric Zemmour. It’s the same generation. They studied together. He is not at all a slack in the movement. He’s tough. This will also allow Marine Le Pen to appear more conciliatory, popular, more on economic and social subjects while Jordan Bardella will continue to talk about identity, immigration and security.
What will Marine Le Pen do, who said she was not leaving the presidency “to go on vacation” ?
She leaves the party to him but it is she who continues to hold the boat and the line. She is the leader of the deputies and, today, it is what weighs the most in the movement with 89 deputies. This is really where she has to forge the culture of government that could bring her to power in 2027. She has to keep appearing in the media, or send Bardella or others because she’s starting to have around her other potential spokespersons, all devoted to her image. It is all the same a great comfort compared to Jean-Marie Le Pen who sent no one other than to speak to him in the media. She will be able to choose the media she does and those she does not. She will be able to appear as the main opponent of Emmanuel Macron. That’s his only goal.