French far-right leader Bardella hits back at antisemitism allegations

A French investigative website on Monday alleged that far-right National Rally (RN) leader Jordan Bardella made antisemitic comments in writing in 2013, but the close ally of presidential front runner Marine Le Pen dismissed the claims as fake.

According to the report by Mediapart, Bardella wrote, among other comments, in a chat: “The Jew has to dominate other peoples, crush them, and rob them; a Zionist is necessarily a Jew, and fundamentally so”.

Bardella, 31, tipped to be prime minister if Le Pen becomes France’s president, wrote on X he “formally” rejected the allegations which he described as “crude forgeries”, saying he would take legal action against Mediapart.