"Jews have taken over banks and must oppress other peoples": scandal with the far-right in France

An anti-Semitic scandal is erupting in France around Jordan Bardella, president of the National Rally party and ally of Marine Le Pen. Mediapart published his private messages from 2013–2015, in which he allegedly wrote that banks belong to Jews and that Jews must dominate other peoples. Bardella denies the authenticity of the messages and is filing a defamation lawsuit.

A new anti-Semitic scandal is erupting in France, this time involving Jordan Bardella, the 31-year-old president of the National Rally party and a close ally of Marine Le Pen. Mediapart published dozens of Bardella's private messages from 2013–2015, when he was 17–19 years old. According to the publication, he wrote that "banks belong entirely to Jews," "a Zionist is necessarily a Jew," and that "a Jew must dominate other peoples, oppress them, and rob them." It is also alleged that he admired anti-Semitic ideologue Alain Soral and expressed doubts about the official version of the September 11 attacks. Bardella categorically denies the authenticity of the messages, calling them a "crude forgery" and a "dirty provocation," and is filing a defamation lawsuit against Mediapart. He stated that the publication is an attempt at political destabilization ahead of elections. Marine Le Pen expressed her "full confidence" in him. Israeli Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli defended Bardella, calling him one of the most vocal opponents of Hamas in Europe and attacking Mediapart. The scandal undermines the party's "de-demonization strategy," which has been courting Jewish voters in recent years. Polls predict a historic victory for Le Pen in the presidential elections in May 2027, with Bardella tipped as a potential prime minister.