Jordan Bardella. The 30-year-old National Rally (RN) president, was asked during a campaign event in the village of La Flèche if he was relieved or disappointed that he would not be the 2027 presidential candidate. “Neither,” he said in a flat voice, adding that he was glad Marine Le Pen could represent the party; he emphasized that they would work together as they always have.

Bardella’s Political Ascent and the 2027 Race

Marine Le Pen had previously announced on primetime TV that she would run for president next year, not her protege; Bardella had climbed the ranks of the RN quickly but had always been measured about his own presidential prospects. He had stated multiple times that he wanted Le Pen to be the candidate and would only run if a court barred her due to a fake jobs scam.

As party president, Bardella had taken on a more prominent role, including a statesman-like visit to Poland. As the date of Le Pen’s appeal verdict neared, he appeared increasingly excited about launching his own campaign. However, a Paris court recently lifted her ban on holding public office and ordered her to wear an electronic tag for a year.

Le Pen’s Plan for a ‘Winning Ticket’

That evening, Le Pen announced that she and Bardella would run together as a “winning ticket,” with Le Pen as president and Bardella as prime minister. However, this is not how France’s political system works. The next parliamentary election is not until 2029, and even if Le Pen wins, a snap election is not guaranteed, making it unlikely that Bardella will become prime minister quickly.

Many National Rally supporters are relieved that Le Pen is running. She has run three presidential campaigns and has a lead in the polls. Some feared that Bardella’s youth and lack of experience could have been liabilities. His body language at the event was telling: while Le Pen smiled and waved off questions about Bardella being sidelined, he barely reacted and scarcely smiled.

From Modest Beginnings to Political Stardom

Bardella was born in 1995 and raised by his Italian-born single mother in the Paris suburbs. His father, also of Italian origin, ran a drinks distribution business and lived in the more affluent town of Montmorency. Bardella has often described his mother’s struggles, but his father’s background complicates the narrative of hardship he used to appeal to voters.

Bardella was not particularly political as a teenager and spent time playing PlayStation and streaming Call of Duty on YouTube. But at 17, he joined the far-right National Front and quickly rose through the ranks, becoming a local departmental secretary at 19 and a regional councillor at 20. He dropped out of university to focus on politics.

He entered the RN’s inner circle through his relationship with an old National Front hand’s daughter and was named party spokesman by 2017. Bardella credited his early interest in the party to Marine Le Pen, who had taken over from her father and was transforming the party into a respectable political force. Around the same time, he started dating Le Pen’s niece.

In 2019, he became the European Parliament’s second-youngest MEP and, at 27, was elected National Rally president. In 2024, the party won 33% of the vote in the first round of snap parliamentary elections, bringing him close to becoming prime minister. However, a center-left alliance won the second round.

Bardella’s popularity has remained strong, with a 40% approval rating in early July. Le Pen’s approval rating has also stayed steady at 39%. Bardella’s appeal lies in his ability to connect with a broad electorate, especially through social media, where he has two million followers. His relationship with Italian socialite Princess Maria Carolina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies adds a glamorous edge, while he frequently references his modest upbringing.

His political platform aligns with Le Pen’s, including anti-immigration policies and populist rhetoric. He has promised to hold a referendum on immigration to give France control of its borders and to shield entrepreneurs from what he calls an “unbearable fiscal and regulatory straitjacket.” He also wants to renegotiate France’s EU membership, calling it “profoundly old-fashioned,” and has suggested halving the country’s contribution to the EU budget.

Despite his smooth image and wide appeal, some analysts see Bardella as a “huge question mark.” His ideological stance is unclear, and his chameleon-like qualities allow voters to project their ideal candidate onto him. For now, he must wait as Le Pen returns to the spotlight she feared might never be hers again.