France: Far-right party’s ‘de‑demonisation’ strategy rattled by antisemitism scandal

France's far-right National Rally (RN) party is facing a scandal that threatens its efforts to shed its extremist past, according to allegations of antisemitism targeting its president Jordan Bardella. The investigative outlet Mediapart has published claims that Bardella, a member of the party since 2019, exchanged antisemitic messages on social media when he was 17.

The messages, allegedly sent on Messenger, include statements such as "Banks are all owned by Jews," "The Jew must dominate other peoples, crush them and steal from them," and "The most important ministries go to people for whom Israel and banking interests take precedence over French interests." Bardella has denied the accusations, calling them "crude fabrications" and filing complaints for defamation, forgery, and the use of forged documents.

His denial has been supported by Israeli Minister Amichai Chikli, who described Bardella as a "clear voice in Europe against Hamas" and stated that no one would convince him that Bardella hates the Jewish people or the Jewish state. However, critics argue that the RN's attempt to de-demonize itself and distance itself from its antisemitic history is misguided.

They point to the party's origins as the Front National (FN), founded by Jean-Marie Le Pen, a notorious antisemite with six criminal convictions and a history of Holocaust denial. Bardella himself has been linked to violent far-right groups and Holocaust-denying figures, including Alain Soral, a convicted polemicist. Despite these concerns, the RN has chosen to present Bardella as a moderate and pro-Israel figure, hoping to appeal to a broader electorate.

However, Jewish organizations and experts argue that this approach is more about image than substance, as the party continues to embrace a pro-Israel stance while failing to address its antisemitic roots.