Following a defeat in the French legislative elections, which saw the National Rally only secure roughly 143 of the available 577 seats, senior party members convened at their Paris office for a discussion on Monday. Despite the setback, Jordan Bardella, who until 24 hours ago was in line to become the next French Prime Minister, maintained an optimistic outlook. Upon his arrival, he informed the media that his party was the leading force in parliament based on percentage share of the vote. Nevertheless, he accepted responsibility for the missteps during the campaign.
In his acknowledgement, Bardella stated, “The results did not meet my expectations.” He emphasised the need to critically evaluate what strategies proved successful and which ones failed, in both victories and losses. He took responsibility for the triumph at the European elections, as well as the recent loss.
In an unconventional move, the party leader, known for rarely admitting mistakes, addressed the issue of racist remarks made online by a few party candidates during the election period. Bardella articulately stated that some of the choices made in certain constituencies weren’t right. However, he praised the vast majority, 99%, of their candidates for their impeccable performance. He highlighted that despite some initial distancing from a few candidates whose views didn’t align with his political ideology, many demonstrated noteworthy progress.
Describing the election outcome as “a deferred win”, Bardella echoed comments made by Marine Le Pen, the party figurehead, in a Sunday TV interview. He hinted at a firm focus on the 2027 presidential race while expecting people to vote in elections beforehand.
Bardella expressed his anticipation of a failed alliance between Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, Emmanuel Macron, and the far left. He looked towards the future confidently, saying, “Each day brings us nearer to power.”
Meanwhile, National Rally followers eagerly anticipate a new chapter. As they assembled outside of Paris to witness the election results, many expressed pride in the progress the party has made. Despite losing eight seats from their incumbents, they voiced their tiredness of continually defending the party’s policies.
“‘We aren’t prejudiced,’ 21-year-old Ulysse-Antoine Heller asserted, reacting to the party’s supposed anti-migrant politics. ‘Rather, we are nationalists. If individuals actually paid attention to what our leaders say, they’d know the National Rally isn’t xenophobic.’ His comments came shortly after Bardella stood on stage to speak to the country, asserting, in his usual fashion, that France is being ‘engulfed’ by an ‘influx of outsiders.’
‘It’s preposterous that we constantly have to defend ourselves,’ stated 20-year-old Nathan Bertan. ‘There’s nothing racist about stating we cannot accommodate everyone desiring to come to France. We possess compassion, we’re human beings. We know some migrants are desperate, but we just don’t have the resources to house them.’
Subsequently, brooding over their losses while sipping lukewarm champagne, with the notes of Roberta Flack’s Killing Me Softly playing lightly in the background, all voiced their criticism of the progressive alliance that managed to split the vote and prevent the National Rally from gaining power. ‘The leftists have betrayed us by aligning shamefully with Macron’s liberal centralists,’ said 21-year-old Leonard Thomazo, a resident of Brittany. ‘They will bring about the downfall of this country. Their ‘popularity’ only exists in name.'”