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Bardella wins French Far-Right Party elections

Bardella wins French Far-Right Party Elections

Newslooks- PARIS (AP)

Jordan Bardella was elected Saturday to replace Marine Le Pen as president of France’s leading far-right party, a symbolic changing of the guard that comes at a crucial time for the resurgent National Rally.

Newly elected leader of the National Rally president Jordan Bardella gestures on stage during the party congress in Paris, Saturday, Nov.5, 2022. Jordan Bardella is the first party chief outside the Le Pen family in a half-century. (AP Photo/Lewis Joly)

Bardella, an ambitious 27-year-old and outspoken member of the European Parliament, won an internal party vote with 85% support, according to results announced at a party congress in Paris. He becomes the first person to lead the anti-immigration party who doesn’t have the Le Pen name since it was founded a half-century ago.

French far right leader Marine Le Pen arrives on stage during the party congress in Paris, Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022. The anti-immigration party is seeking to capitalize on a breakthrough showing in legislative elections this year. (AP Photo/Lewis Joly)

The National Rally is seeking to capitalize on a breakthrough showing in legislative elections this year and growing support for far-right parties elsewhere in Europe, notably in neighboring Italy. It’s also facing broad public anger over a racist comment this week by a National Rally member in parliament that cast doubt on years of efforts to soften the party’s image.

French far right leader Marine Le Pen celebrates with newly elected chief of the National Rally president Jordan Bardella during the party congress in Paris, Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022. Jordan Bardella is the first party chief outside the Le Pen family in a half-century. (AP Photo/Lewis Joly)

Marine Le Pen has said she wants to focus on leading the party’s 89 lawmakers in the National Assembly. She’s still expected to wield significant power in party leadership, and run again for the presidency in 2027.

Bardella had been the interim president of the National Rally since Le Pen entered the presidential race last year. He beat out rival Louis Aliot, 53, the mayor of Perpignan and a senior official of the National Rally for two decades. Alliot, who is a fervent supporter of Le Pen’s rise and a former romantic partner of hers, won 15% of the party vote.

French far right leader Marine Le Pen celebrates with newly elected chief of the National Rally president Jordan Bardella during the party congress in Paris, Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022. Jordan Bardella is the first party chief outside the Le Pen family in a half-century. (AP Photo/Lewis Joly)

Le Pen lost to Emmanuel Macron on her third bid for the presidency this year, but won 44% of the national vote, her highest score yet. Two months later, her party won its most seats to date in the lower house of parliament.

Le Pen has gone to great lengths to remove the stigma of racism and antisemitism that clung to the far-right party, to soften its image and to broaden her audience. She has notably distanced herself from her now ostracized father Jean-Marie Le Pen, who co-founded the party then called the National Front.

Newly elected chief of the National Rally president Jordan Bardella adresses a speech on stage during the party congress in Paris, Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022. Jordan Bardella is the first party chief outside the Le Pen family in a half-century. (AP Photo/Lewis Joly)

“Bardella is part of a generation of young, very young, people who engaged themselves behind Marine Le Pen in the 2010s and who probably wouldn’t have joined the National Rally during Jean-Marie Le Pen’s era,” political scientist Jean-Yves Camus told The Associated Press.

Newly elected chief of the National Rally president Jordan Bardella adresses a speech on stage during the party congress in Paris, Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022. Jordan Bardella is the first party chief outside the Le Pen family in a half-century. (AP Photo/Lewis Joly)

Bardella supports the anti-immigration and protectionist line of the party.

“Progress today is called localism. It’s called defending borders. It’s called protectionism,” he told the AP in 2019, ahead of European elections, rejecting what he called “massive immigration.”

French far right leader Marine Le Pen leaves the party congress after announcing the newly elected chief of the National Rally president Jordan Bardella, in Paris, Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022. Jordan Bardella is the first party chief outside the Le Pen family in a half-century. (AP Photo/Lewis Joly)

On the other hand, Aliot, vice president of the party, argued that the National Rally needs to reshape itself to make it more palatable to the mainstream right.

According to Camus, the party vote won’t question Le Pen’s leadership.

French far right leader Marine Le Pen adresses a speech during the party congress in Paris, Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022. The anti-immigration party is seeking to capitalize on a breakthrough showing in legislative elections this year. (AP Photo/Lewis Joly)

“The first impact of this election is that Le Pen won’t have to deal with the party and can focus on the most important thing, leading the party’s lawmakers in the National Assembly,” he explained.

Newly elected chief of the National Rally president Jordan Bardella gestures on stage during the party congress in Paris, Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022. Jordan Bardella is the first party chief outside the Le Pen family in a half-century. (AP Photo/Lewis Joly)

For the past few months, 40,000 members of the party voted online to elect the new head of the party.

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