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| Jordan Bardella: French National Rally has new leader to replace Le Pen | Jordan Bardella: French National Rally has new leader to replace Le Pen |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Jordan Bardella is a protege of Marine Le Pen | Jordan Bardella is a protege of Marine Le Pen |
| France's far-right National Rally (RN) has confirmed 27-year-old Jordan Bardella as the replacement as party leader for Marine Le Pen. | France's far-right National Rally (RN) has confirmed 27-year-old Jordan Bardella as the replacement as party leader for Marine Le Pen. |
| Ms Le Pen will focus instead on leading the party's group in parliament, after it took 89 seats in the National Assembly earlier this year. | Ms Le Pen will focus instead on leading the party's group in parliament, after it took 89 seats in the National Assembly earlier this year. |
| It marks the first time in its 50-year history that the main far-right party has not been led by a Le Pen. | |
| But the move does not mark a major change in direction for the party. | But the move does not mark a major change in direction for the party. |
| Marine Le Pen remains the source of real power and she is still the likely candidate in the next presidential election in 2027. | Marine Le Pen remains the source of real power and she is still the likely candidate in the next presidential election in 2027. |
| She told the party on Saturday that she was not disappearing from politics. | She told the party on Saturday that she was not disappearing from politics. |
| "I am not leaving RN to take a holiday. I will be there where the country needs me," she said at the party convention. | "I am not leaving RN to take a holiday. I will be there where the country needs me," she said at the party convention. |
| Brought up in a poor family of Italian origin in the Paris suburbs, Mr Bardella joined the far-right as a teenager and rose quickly to the top of the party, becoming its acting president last year. | Brought up in a poor family of Italian origin in the Paris suburbs, Mr Bardella joined the far-right as a teenager and rose quickly to the top of the party, becoming its acting president last year. |
| He ran the RN's successful 2019 European election campaign, and has since impressed even his enemies with his assertiveness in debates. | He ran the RN's successful 2019 European election campaign, and has since impressed even his enemies with his assertiveness in debates. |
| He is seen as loyal to Ms Le Pen, telling AFP news agency recently that he is a "continuity candidate with the aim of building on the incredible legacy that Marine is handing over". | He is seen as loyal to Ms Le Pen, telling AFP news agency recently that he is a "continuity candidate with the aim of building on the incredible legacy that Marine is handing over". |
| His elevation to the party's senior leadership is part of the RN's efforts to soften its image and attract younger voters. | His elevation to the party's senior leadership is part of the RN's efforts to soften its image and attract younger voters. |
| Like Ms Le Pen he likes to portray himself as a new type of nationalist who has little in common with the racism and anti-Semitism of the party's predecessor, the National Front. | Like Ms Le Pen he likes to portray himself as a new type of nationalist who has little in common with the racism and anti-Semitism of the party's predecessor, the National Front. |
| However, critics say that these sentiments still exist within the party. | However, critics say that these sentiments still exist within the party. |
| In the most recent controversy, a RN lawmaker was suspended for two weeks from the National Assembly for making an allegedly racist remark while a black member of parliament was speaking. | In the most recent controversy, a RN lawmaker was suspended for two weeks from the National Assembly for making an allegedly racist remark while a black member of parliament was speaking. |
| Ms Le Pen stepped down last year as leader of the party, which she had headed since she succeeded her father Jean-Marie Le Pen in 2011. She did so in order to focus on her presidential bid, which she eventually lost in April in a run-off to President Emmanuel Macron. | |
| Despite the defeat, she fronted the party's parliamentary election campaign two months later in which the RN won 89 seats - a 10-fold rise and the party's best-ever showing. | Despite the defeat, she fronted the party's parliamentary election campaign two months later in which the RN won 89 seats - a 10-fold rise and the party's best-ever showing. |
| The success of the far-right and the left in those elections led to President Macron's party losing its majority. | The success of the far-right and the left in those elections led to President Macron's party losing its majority. |
| Watch: What far-right leader Marine Le Pen said before…and now | Watch: What far-right leader Marine Le Pen said before…and now |
| Watch: What far-right leader Marine Le Pen said before…and now | Watch: What far-right leader Marine Le Pen said before…and now |