French pol Jordan Bardella on fight for ‘soul’ of France

Jordan Bardella, the leader of the National Rally in France, has been dedicated to fighting for the country’s values since leaving university to work for the right-wing party. He will be speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington, emphasizing similar concerns to President Trump’s Make America Great Again movement. Bardella’s rise in politics, mentored by Marine Le Pen, has been met with popularity and success, despite opposition from railway unions and other critics. His memoir has become a bestseller, showcasing his appeal to younger voters in France. Jordan Bardella mentioned that his agents were his best-sellers, having sold over 200,000 copies of his memoir, far surpassing former French President Francois Hollande’s 6,000 copies. Bardella’s memoir combines a political manifesto with a coming-of-age story, detailing his journey from an impoverished suburb of Paris to his current success.

Raised by a single mother in an immigrant family, Bardella highlighted his humble beginnings and lack of traditional political education, emphasizing his connection to the people as a member of the National Rally. The party’s recent success in European Parliament elections led to a snap election in France, where Bardella nearly became the youngest prime minister in the country’s history.

Despite a setback in the second round of voting, Bardella acknowledged his mistakes and took responsibility for the results. Marine Le Pen, however, remained confident in the party’s future success, attributing the loss to alliances between opposing parties. The National Rally gained more seats in the National Assembly but fell short of a majority.

Bardella emphasized the importance of social media presence for politicians, especially when promoting patriotic ideals. The need to avoid mistakes is crucial, as any misstep can be detrimental when defending such ideas in the public eye.