Jordan Bardella rejects antisemitic message claims as opponents challenge his Matignon bid
Mediapart published bailiff-certified digital records attributing 2013 antisemitic messages to Jordan Bardella, prompting the National Rally leader to file lawsuits while political rivals demand his withdrawal from the prime minister ticket.
Mediapart findings and digital verification
On 28 September 2026, the French investigative news site Mediapart published an investigation attributing antisemitic online messages from 2013 and 2014 to Jordan Bardella, dating back to when he was a young activist in the Front National. On 1 October, Mediapart released technical records to support its reporting, stating that a court bailiff had authenticated the digital Facebook data. Mediapart investigative journalist Antton Rouget stated that the outlet verified the account by cross-referencing personal anecdotes in the chat logs with accounts Bardella published eleven years later in his 2024 autobiography. Rouget indicated that this biographical concordance demonstrated the conversation was unaltered and belonged to the current National Rally president.
- Marine Le Pen launches presidential bid and designates Jordan Bardella as prime minister
- Mediapart publishes investigation attributing 2013 antisemitic messages to Bardella
- Mediapart releases bailiff-certified digital records and biographical matches
- Bardella announces forgery complaints while political opponents demand his withdrawal
National Rally denies allegations and files legal action
Bardella rejected the accusations, calling the published screenshots crude fabrications, manipulated materials, and an intelligence-style setup aimed at derailing his political career. The National Rally president, who had previously filed a defamation lawsuit against Mediapart, announced an additional legal complaint alleging forgery and the use of forged documents. Party lawmakers supported his position. Spokesperson Laurent Jacobelli suggested the messages could have resulted from identity theft, while deputy Sébastien Chenu told BFMTV that no link had been proven between the published text and an account managed by Bardella. Party leader Marine Le Pen criticized Mediapart as a far-left publication and suggested reporters put on a Kevlar suit, drawing criticism from press freedom organisation Reporters Without Borders.
My conviction is unshakeable. Never did Jordan Bardella make these statements and I am intimately convinced of it.
Political opponents challenge prime ministerial bid
The publications generated swift reactions across French politics regarding Bardella's fitness for government. Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin questioned on RTL whether the country could accept a prime minister who faces such evidence and lies about it. Socialist Party first secretary Olivier Faure said on the same network that the combination of antisemitism and dishonesty disqualified Bardella from Matignon. La France Insoumise coordinator Manuel Bompart described Bardella's total denial as Trumpist, while political communication professor Arnaud Mercier observed that the legal counter-offensive mirrored tactics used in earlier party controversies.
We have a dual issue here, his antisemitism and lying in politics. The two are unforgivable.
Pressure on the presidential campaign ticket
The controversy interrupted campaign activities, slowing momentum from Bardella's early September appearance at the Foire de Châlons-en-Champagne and overshadowing Le Pen's housing policy proposals at the Batimat trade show. Le Pen had pledged on 7 July to name Bardella as prime minister if she won the presidency, ahead of the national election scheduled in six months. Bardella faces a party vote for re-election as president at the National Rally congress in Orléans on 24 and 25 October. While some political opponents suggested Nice mayor Éric Ciotti could replace him, party allies including Marion Maréchal stated that the candidate ticket remains unchanged.
