Jordan Bardella re-elected as head of the Rassemblement National

According to French media, Bardella received around 99 percent of the vote, with a turnout of nearly 68 percent. However, the result is no surprise: the 31-year-old was the only candidate for the position, which he has held since 2022.

After the election of the RN presidency, a major campaign event for Marine Le Pen is scheduled to take place on Sunday. The RN parliamentary group leader and former party leader is running as a presidential candidate, although she could still be caught up in her conviction for embezzling EU funds, confirmed in July, against which she has appealed. The 58-year-old could then be threatened with wearing an ankle bracelet in the middle of the election campaign if the court rules against your application. This could be a disadvantage for them – or even helpful.

Around 15,000 participants are expected at their rally on Sunday at 3 p.m.

According to the local prefecture, around 13,000 people protested against the party event in Orléans on Saturday afternoon. The march passed peacefully through the city south of Paris. The route was previously adjusted by the authorities. Meanwhile, a nighttime curfew has been imposed on children and young people, as the city's mayor announced. This is intended to prevent disruptions to public order and limit the risk of riots.

In his party conference speech, Bardella called on the party to "unify" and to lead the Rassemblement National to "victory." He enlisted the support of party members “to bring Marine Le Pen to the Élysée Palace.”

Le Pen has promised to make Bardella prime minister if she wins the presidential election. Bardella initially took over the leadership of the Rassemblement National on an interim basis in 2021 because Marine Le Pen wanted to concentrate on the 2022 presidential election. In 2022 he was officially elected party leader. He recently came under pressure due to media reports about anti-Semitic text messages that he is said to have written more than ten years ago.