Stakes are high for Le Pen's heir as French elections near

Jordan Bardella would likely become PM if National Rally wins legislative majority

French President Emmanuel Macron’s decision to call snap elections has plunged France into uncertainty, but it may prove to be the making of Mr Jordan Bardella, Ms Marine Le Pen’s 28-year-old wefie-loving political heir.

Mr Bardella – the butt of jokes on a satirical television show for his habit of offering to take wefies with people – would likely become prime minister if Ms Le Pen’s National Rally wins a legislative majority in July after Mr Macron called a ballot following his party’s bruising defeat in the June European parliamentary election.

As president of the far-right National Rally, Mr Bardella was instrumental in its record score in the vote, making the party appear more mainstream.

By not carrying the Le Pen name, he has helped Ms Le Pen’s push for legitimacy by putting even more distance between the party and its founder – her controversial father Jean-Marie Le Pen, known for his anti-Semitic views.

But Dr Marta Lorimer, a political science researcher and fellow at the London School of Economics (LSE), says no one should be fooled by the “moderation” narrative.

“Bardella has the exact same ideas as Le Pen, it’s just that he’s not called Le Pen and he’s 28,” she said.

“The National Rally hasn’t moderated hugely in the last 10 years. There’s nothing that would justify thinking of it as anything else than a radical right party. And Bardella is just a cleaner, nicer face, but he’s not a moderate.”

For Ms Le Pen and Mr Bardella, the challenge will be to show that the economic and social discontent that carried the party in the European vote will also see them through in France.

Already in 2022, Ms Le Pen’s party made significant strides by winning nearly 90 seats in the Lower House of Parliament to become the main opposition in the National Assembly.