The leader of France’s far-right National Rally (RN) Jordan Bardella has welcomed “for the most part” concerns raised about Europe in US President Donald Trump’s new National Security Strategy.
Last week, the White House published a document which outlined Trump’s vision of the world and the state of the European continent, which many have characterised as harshly critical of Europe.
Speaking to the BBC’s Nick Robinson for his Political Thinking podcast, Bardella praised what he said was Trump’s “appeal to American pride” – but he made clear he did not want Europe to be “subservient to any major power”.
He said there was a “wind of freedom, of national pride blowing all over Western democracies”.
In a wide-ranging interview, the 30-year-old, who opinion polls suggest leads in the race to be France’s next president, was also challenged on the RN’s political history and his stance on immigration.
Close up posed picture of Bardella looking at the camera. He is wearing a dark grey suit , white shirt and navy tie
Bardella said he shared the majority of the concerns outlined by the Trump administration about Europe facing “civilisational erasure”, which the White House said is being fuelled by a range of policies, including on migration.
“Mass immigration and the laxity of our governments in the last 30 years with regard to migration policy are shaking the balance of European countries, of Western societies, and namely French society,” Bardella said.
Snap parliamentary elections in June 2024 made the RN the largest single force in parliament, although an alliance of left-wing parties clinched victory.
The next French presidential election is due to be held in 2027. A recent poll for Le Figaro suggests Bardella would win with 44% of the vote – just ahead of Marine Le Pen, the RN figurehead whose candidacy is in doubt after she was found guilty of embezzling EU funds and barred from standing in an election for five years.
An appeal due early next year will determine whether Le Pen can run – otherwise, the expectation is that Bardella will step in.
Bardella batted away suggestions this was sparking tensions between them, stating they were united by “trust and friendship”.
“I will fight by her side so she can win the appeal. Until the appeal we will campaign together, as we will after, hand-in-hand,” he said in his interview.
The RN was founded by Le Pen’s father Jean-Marie in 1972. Known then as the National Front (FN), it has since become a decisive force in French politics. Jean-Marie Le Pen was convicted several times for Holocaust denial and was an unrepentant extremist on race.
In his interview with Nick Robinson, Bardella distanced himself from Jean-Marie Le Pen’s comments, as have many other RN politicians in recent years.
“I am fighting against the caricature of my political movement, of my ideas,” he said, adding his responsibility was to bring together the French people and present the country with “a project of national recovery”.
“My people’s expectations for a break with the past are numerous,” Bardella added.
Challenged on the racist and antisemitic history of the RN’s precursor, Bardella rejected accusations that the National Front had ever put forward arguments that could “offend” some sections of the population
“A lot of Jewish people vote for us and consider us a bulwark against extremism,” he said.