Anti-Semitic writings attributed to Jordan Bardella: political and judicial reactions

After the revelations by Mediapart on the anti-Semitic writings attributed to Jordan Bardella, Emmanuel Macron described the anti-Semitic messages attributed to the boss of the RN as "extremely serious and unacceptable" on Wednesday September 30. Shortly after, Jordan Bardella responded to him. “After October 7, 2023, I walked the streets of Paris, and went to Israel. Not him,” the president of the RN said on X. In this message, Jordan Bardella refers to a march against anti-Semitism which took place on November 12, 2023 in the streets of Paris, at the call of the presidents of the Senate, Gérard Larcher, and of the National Assembly, Yaël Braun-Pivet. The head of state did not participate. But Emmanuel Macron visited Israel on October 24, 2023, before Jordan Bardella, who traveled there in March 2024.

Emmanuel Macron judged on Wednesday the anti-Semitic writings attributed to Jordan Bardella “extremely serious and unacceptable”. “They imply that political leaders clarify the line,” he explained. The head of state also deplored "the violence that is taking hold" in the presidential campaign. “We will never accept anti-Semitic comments,” added Emmanuel Macron from Spain, where he is on a state visit.

The investigative site Mediapart denounced the “staggering violence” of the RN and “the very serious threatening remarks” of Marine Le Pen, in reaction to the publication of an investigation accusing Jordan Bardella of having made anti-Semitic remarks. "Evoking the 'beginnings of a total war', as Jordan Bardella did on Tuesday September 29 morning" and talking about "a 'Kevlar suit', as Marine Le Pen did immediately, illustrates the astounding violence of this extreme right which claims to have its own control," wrote Lénaïg Bredoux, co-editorial director of Mediapart, on her site.

The president of the National Rally has chosen his line of defense: a total denial and a response on the legal front with the announcement of the filing of several complaints against the investigative newspaper, one for defamation and the other for forgery and use of forgeries "if there are written elements" published by Mediapart. Marine Le Pen expressed her “absolute confidence” in Jordan Bardella on Tuesday.

Fabrice Arfi, co-head of Mediapart's "investigations" department, responded on franceinfo: "The verbal violence of this party, whose history is also marked by physical violence, does not impress us." He claims that new revelations are “coming” concerning the president of the RN. “We are not going to put the reputation of the newspaper at stake if we are not 200% sure” of our information, explains Fabrice Arfi.