Marine Le Pen unveils 140 billion euro counter-budget amid controversy over Jordan Bardella

Fiscal proposals and economic targets

On Tuesday morning, Rassemblement National presidential candidate Marine Le Pen presented an alternative fiscal blueprint at party headquarters in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. The plan outlines an effort of 140 billion euros in net spending reductions over five years, extending to 2032, designed to establish governing credentials ahead of the 2027 presidential election. Le Pen paired these spending curbs with 30 billion euros in proposed tax reductions over the five-year timeframe. Under the party's projections, the French budget deficit would decline from 5.6 percent of gross domestic product this year to below 3 percent by 2030. The presentation took place days after Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu released the government's official budget proposals for 2027.

Evolution of RN fiscal strategy

The 140 billion euro savings package expands upon earlier commitments Le Pen made before the business community. In late August, Le Pen addressed the Medef employer federation, where she pledged 125 billion euros in expenditure cuts over a multi-year framework. During the Paris briefing before approximately 60 journalists, party leaders argued that the revised package would reverse the drift in public accounts and reassure financial markets. Economists and political opponents noted that key elements remain unclear, questioning the economic growth projections underlying the revenue and savings estimates. Le Pen framed the financial plan as evidence that the party is prepared to transition from an opposition role into executive governance.

Antisemitism allegations surrounding Jordan Bardella

The fiscal launch coincided with controversy regarding party president Jordan Bardella following reporting published ten days earlier by Mediapart. The investigative website reported that Bardella made antisemitic remarks in private Facebook conversations in 2013, when he was 17 years old. Mediapart stated that a bailiff verified the authenticity of the message logs, which included statements about dominating and robbing other groups. Seated alongside Le Pen, Bardella had previously termed the materials crude forgeries and directly rejected the report during Tuesday's press conference.

I expressly deny your accusations. I dispute your evidence, and I dispute your sources.

Party dynamics and upcoming congress

Le Pen reiterated her absolute trust in Bardella, sitting beside him during the briefing as the party managed the political fallout. The 31-year-old party president has served as a central figure in Le Pen's efforts to broaden the party's appeal beyond the legacy of her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, who was repeatedly convicted for antisemitism and Holocaust denial before being expelled from the movement. The scandal emerges alongside recent policy disagreements between Le Pen and Bardella regarding pension reform, potential headscarf restrictions, and general economic doctrine, which led Le Pen to dismiss an economic adviser chosen by Bardella. An Elabe poll conducted on 1 October showed Le Pen maintaining a 37 percent positive rating among core voters. The party faces an organizational milestone on 25 October, when delegates gather at the national party congress to vote on confirming Bardella as president.