‘All banks are owned by Jews’: Remarks attributed to MP shake France’s far right

Mediapart plunged the French far right into chaos on Monday after reporting that Jordan Bardella, president of the National Rally (RN) party, had made antisemitic comments in private messages.

Bardella, 31, was fighting for his political career on Tuesday after the investigative outlet obtained exchanges dating from 2013 to 2015.

According to Mediapart, the messages show Bardella promoting conspiracy theories about Jews, banks, the French government, and a supposed “new world order dominated by Israel”.

In another exchange, Bardella reportedly complained that “the most important ministries fall to people for whom the interests of Israel and banking take priority over French interests”, referring to three ministers in then-President François Hollande’s government.

Bardella has played a central role in attempting to soften the far-right’s image and appeal to younger voters.

He has also gone out of his way to court Israel, paying homage to the country during a visit in 2025 and warning against rising antisemitism in France.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has called for greater engagement with far-right parties in Europe as ruling parties across Europe increasingly see the country as a liability.