Marine Le Pen’s 27-year-old ‘general’ Jordan Bardella elected president of French far-right party 

Marine Le Pen‘s 27-year-old ‘general’ has been elected as the new president of the French far-right party, Rassemblement National.

Today the party, known as the National Rally, elected Jordan Bardella to take over from Le Pen, who failed to unset Emmanuel Macron at this years presidential election in April.

The historical move means  that Bardella will be the party’s first leader who is not a member of the Le Pen family. 

European Parliament member Bardella won 84.8 per cent of party members’ votes, against 15.16 per cent for his challenger Louis Aliot, a party veteran of more than 30 years and Le Pen’s former boyfriend.

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Bardella and Marine Le Pen (pictured) at the National Rally Congress in Paris this morning

The result was announced at a congress in Paris this morning. He was seen celebrating with the party’s long-term leader Le Pen. Bardella previously described himself as Le Pen’s ‘general’.

He is expected to address the rally later today. His nomination comes after the party had its best-ever showing in parliamentary elections earlier this year, gaining 89 seats even after Le Pen’s third failed run for President.

Bardella, who has been the acting president of the party since September 2021, has embraced Le Pen’s efforts to shed the virulent anti-Semitic and extremist views fomented by her father, party founder Jean-Marie Le Pen, who was excluded in 2015.

Jordan Bardella, 27, (pictured) has been elected to take over the French far-right party, Rassemblement National, known as the National Rally 

Bardella has been the acting president of the party since September 2021. It was widely anticipated that he would win the election.

The National Rally is a far-right party in France known for its anti-immigration and extremist views.

Le Pen, who took over as leader of the party from her father in 2011, won 13 million votes in the most recent election.

The 27-year-old was brought up by his Italian-born mother in the Parisian suburbs

During the leadership contest she said she would ban people from wearing Muslim headscarf’s in public, called for a referendum on immigration controls and pledged a series of tax cuts to tackle the cost-of-living.

She also vowed to hold a referendum to bring back the death penalty to France and ban win turbines. President Macron, in a fierce backlash, accused for retaining ‘authoritarian’ views, slamming her plan as an ‘aberration’. 

By stepping down as party chief, Le Pen is expected to focus more on leading the National Rally in parliament ahead of the presidency election in 2027, which she is widely expected to run for.

Earlier this week the incoming party chief was caught up in a racism row after a far-right MP from his party shouted ‘go back to Africa’ at a black MP.

France’s National Assembly voted to sanction MP Gregoire de Fournas on Friday following his comments to 31-year-old Carlos Martens Bilongo which led parliament to be suspended.

The row erupted as the National Rally party member was challenging the government’s response to migrants being rescued in the Mediterranean.

He later said he was referring to the boat, not his fellow lawmaker, but Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said Friday that Bardella had shown his complicity in ‘everyday racism’. 

Bardella and Le Pen at their party’s ‘from hope to power’ at the National Assembly earlier this month

Following the incident, Bardella insisted Mr de Fournas had meant the return of boats to African ports and accused the government of ‘extreme dishonesty’. 

Bardella also faces the daunting task of getting the party on solid financial footing as it faces inquiries over alleged misuse of public funds by party members, including Le Pen.

The incoming party chair was brought up by his Italian-born mother in the Parisian suburbs.