Bardella wins 99% backing as Le Pen gears up for French presidential race

Jordan Bardella has been re-elected unopposed as leader of France's National Rally, securing a massive 98.98% of the vote in a leadership election that opened the party's congress in Orléans. Bardella received 75,497 votes, with just 779 blank ballots cast, while 68% of party members turned out to vote. The RN seeks a strong position ahead of the 2027 presidential race.

Following his re-election, Bardella thanked supporters and urged them to rally behind Marine Le Pen's presidential ambitions, stating he must lead her to the Élysée Palace. Bardella's re-election solidifies the division of roles between the RN's two leading figures, with Le Pen expected to run for president and Bardella potentially becoming prime minister if the party gains a parliamentary majority.

Meanwhile, Le Pen is set to deliver a major presidential speech in Orléans on Sunday, outlining her vision for France ahead of the 2027 election. The party has already presented its economic and social priorities, including an alternative budget challenging the government's fiscal proposals and a focus on housing and the cost of living. Le Pen emphasized these themes during a speech in Hénin-Beaumont on September 14.

The congress was met with protests from around 11,000 to 26,000 demonstrators, mostly from left-wing parties and trade unions. Prominent figures like Bally Bagayoko, mayor of Saint-Denis, and Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure joined the demonstrations, criticizing the National Rally for contributing to a "poisonous, racist and xenophobic climate." The protest was smaller than the historic March 1997 demonstration against a National Front congress in Strasbourg, which saw over 50,000 participants.