France: first turmoil at the RN after the election of Jordan Bardella

Jordan Bardella, new leader of the National Rally, elected on Saturday November 5, paid tribute to Marine Le Pen.

He was elected with nearly 85% of the vote against Louis Aliot, the mayor of Perpignan.

It is the hard line that wins, enough to create a stir internally.

REUTERS - CHRISTIAN HARTMANN

Text by: RFI Follow

2 mins

Jordan Bardella was elected yesterday, Saturday, president of the National Rally at the age of 27 with nearly 85% of the votes against the mayor of Perpignan, Louis Aliot.

Jordan Bardella, who had acted as the party's interim president for more than a year, officially succeeds Marine Le Pen.

In the midst of a controversy over the racist remarks of deputy Grégoire de Fournas, it is the hard line that wins with the arrival of Jordan Bardella.

Enough to create a stir internally.

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Jordan Bardella has been officially president of the National Rally for a few minutes, when Steve Briois publishes a press release.

The mayor of Hénin-Beaumont, a sailor of the first hour, announces his eviction from the governing bodies of the party.

And he denounces, at the microphone of

Pierrick Bonno

, of the political department of RFI, a radicalization of the line: "

We still had a fairly moderate line, of course we have to talk about important things such as the identity of the country, but it we also have to talk about social issues, but I have the impression that here we are reviewing the strategy of the movement, our positioning, that's not how we will get there.

 »

The deputy of Pas-de-Calais, Bruno Bilde, follows suit.

In a café a stone's throw from the Maison de la Mutualité where the congress is being held, he tells the press about the disagreements within the party: "

With Jordan Bardella, we are only going to talk about immigration and identity

", warns the deputy.

In his first speech as the new president of the party,

Jordan Bardella

had in fact insisted on this file.

"

For us, immigration must be drastically regulated

 ," hammered the new president of the RN. 

Radicalism in words rather than in ideas corrects party cadres.

According to Sébastien Chenu, vice-president RN of the Assembly, Jordan Bardella is in line with Marine Le Pen: "

Jordan says things, perhaps it is also generational, with probably fewer filters than many leaders of political apparatuses... but Marine Le Pen was already like that

”, concedes Sébastien Chenu.

According to the mayor of Fréjus, David Rachline, there is only one line at the RN: “

I say that there are no differences, that there can be nuances.

There are people like me who are a little more sovereignist than others, for example, others who are more focused on issues related to identity or security.

It can happen in the context of congresses, there are a certain number of debates: sometimes we come to an agreement, sometimes a little less.

I believe the election was clear, Jordan was overwhelmingly elected.

»

To read also

: Jordan Bardella becomes president of the RN and succeeds Marine Le Pen

This Sunday morning, the new authorities of the party meet for the first time around Jordan Bardella.

And some chairs will remain empty.

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