Jordan Bardella, 28, who as president of Marine Le Pen's National Rally party has one of the biggest Tik Tok followings in French politics, never says no to a selfie, flashing his well-rehearsed smile. "Unlike Emmanuel Macron, our party never lost touch with the French people," he said.
"You're so handsome and you never cock up in TV interviews," said a grandmother at a champagne stand. "Well, I try my best," replied Bardella earnestly.
Bardella, who was elected to the European parliament five years ago, is leading the National Rally's European election campaign to unprecedented heights in the polls before the 9 June vote. Ifop polling last week put his far-right party on 31.5%, with Macron's centrists on 17%. If Bardella beats Macron's party by a wide margin it threatens to panic centrists right and left, and set the tone in national politics for the coming years.
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