Bardella denies Mediapart report alleging anti-Semitic messages from decade ago

September 29, 2026 at 01:52 AM2 min

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French far-right leader Jordan Bardella denied allegations of anti-Semitism on Monday. His denial followed a Mediapart report claiming he sent anti-Semitic private messages a decade ago. The report emerged after National Rally secured a record 14 Senate seats.

Key Facts

Mediapart reported that Bardella wrote in a chat: "The Jew has to dominate other peoples, crush them, and rob them; a Zionist is necessarily a Jew, and fundamentally so."
Bardella told CNews he has "never had any ambiguity about the fight against anti-Semitism" and was received by the Israeli government in 2025.
Marine Le Pen said the report could "only be a fake, a manipulation, a dirty trick" and expects Bardella to file a defamation lawsuit.
National Rally secured a record 14 seats in the Senate, confirming strong prospects ahead of presidential elections early next year.

The Mediapart Report

Mediapart published a report alleging that Bardella sent anti-Semitic private messages a decade ago. The outlet said it independently authenticated the private messages and drew on testimony from former party colleagues. Bardella, 31, is a close ally of presidential frontrunner Marine Le Pen.

Bardella's Denial

Bardella claimed the "activist press" is orchestrating "smear operations" to "destabilise" RN's presidential campaign. He told CNews he has "never had any ambiguity about the fight against anti-Semitism" and was received by the Israeli government in 2025. Le Pen said the report could "only be a fake, a manipulation, a dirty trick" and expects Bardella to file an imminent defamation lawsuit.

Party Rebranding

Bardella has led the RN party's rebrand as it seeks to break from its racist and anti-Semitic history under the name National Front. The party changed its name in 2018 after being founded by Jean-Marie Le Pen and led by Marine Le Pen from 2011 to 2021. A slew of anti-Semitic, Islamophobic and racist comments by candidates impacted the party's chances of winning a parliamentary majority in 2024. Bardella pledged at the time to avoid "casting errors" by systematically kicking out candidates with a history of toxic statements.