Bardella

Brussels’ nightmare French election scenario risks coming true: Bardella vs. Mélenchon

PARIS — Brussels’ nightmare scenario is no longer looking far-fetched: a French presidential election next year in which both candidates in the runoff hail from the political extremes and hold a deeply skeptical outlook on the EU and NATO. Jordan Bardella of the far-right National Rally — the nationalist, anti-immigration party of Marine Le Pen — has long been the favorite to win the 2027 race, but mainstream centrist parties have been hoping they can find a unifying challenger to beat...

Bardella: European countries should buy French warplanes to join nuclear club

PARIS — European countries should buy French warplanes instead of U.S. ones to benefit from France’s new nuclear deterrent initiative, far-right leader Jordan Bardella said on Thursday evening. “Before asking France to extend its nuclear umbrella, our European partners must stop buying [American-made] F-35s and start buying Rafales instead,” he told French broadcaster LCI. Despite making that demand, he did underline that France should stick with the nuclear doctrine...

The Guardian view on the French presidential election campaign: only the far right will profit from division | Editorial

Mainstream politicians should remember that in the battle to defeat Jordan Bardella or Marine Le Pen, unity is strengthLess than a year before the most important French presidential election in the history of the Fifth Republic, the phoney war is almost over. On 7 July, a court will decide whether to uphold Marine Le Pen’s appeal against a fraud conviction and a five-year ban from public office. Should she lose, her party’s 30‑year‑old president, Jordan Bardella, will be confirmed...

French football violence fires up far right ahead of 2027 election and World Cup

PARIS — France’s far right is trying to capitalize on a wave of outrage that followed football rioting across the country, as the sport takes center stage for the next seven weeks. Wild celebrations in the wake of Paris Saint-Germain’s victory in the UEFA Champions League final descended into violence on Saturday night, much of it driven by groups of youths from the capital’s poorer suburban districts. The outbreak of violence has heightened concerns about...

French content creators gear up to influence presidential election

French content creators gear up to influence presidential election Paris (France) (AFP) – Politicians want to meet them, the media want to hire them -- content creators, seen as a key to reaching their young followers, are readying to be players in the 2027 presidential campaign. Issued on: Sam Zirah, with more than two million subscribers on YouTube, first made a name for himself by interviewing reality TV contestants, but now invites political figures onto his show. He believes his...

Europe’s toughest migration plan yet

Listen on Spotify Apple Music Amazon Music The EU is edging closer to one of its most controversial migration policies yet: sending failed asylum seekers to return hubs outside the bloc. Zoya Sheftalovich and Nick Vinocur discuss the latest negotiations over tougher deportation rules, why countries are already exploring potential deals from Albania to Central Asia, and why critics warn the plans could create offshore detention centers. Then: France’s presidential race is drifting...

France probes judicial 'dysfunction' after murder of 11‑year‑old Lyhanna shocks nation

France probes judicial 'dysfunction' after murder of 11‑year‑old Lyhanna shocks nation The French government is set to probe what President Emmanuel Macron on Friday described as "dysfunction" in the judicial system following the killing of an 11-year-old girl named Lyhanna in southwest France. The main suspect in the case had twice been formally accused of raping a child, with investigations either dropped or stalled. To display this content from YouTube, you must enable advertisement...

France's president blasts 'unacceptable' lapses over 11-year-old girl's suspected murderer

A girl, named in the press only as Lyhanna, went missing on 29 May near the town of Fleurance after she was last seen getting into a man's car. France's President Emmanuel Macron condemned "unacceptable" lapses within the judicial system on Friday over an 11-year-old girl's killing, after it emerged that the main suspect was previously accused of sexually abusing children. A girl, named in the press only as Lyhanna, went missing on 29 May near the southwestern town of Fleurance after she was...

France’s Far Right Has 2 Leaders. They Don’t Always Have One Voice.

France’s Far Right Has 2 Leaders. They Don’t Always Have One Voice.