International
French far-right leader under fire for antisemitic posts
Jordan Bardella, leader of the French far-right party Rassemblement National (RN), faces controversy after the investigative platform Mediapart published alleged antisemitic messages from 2013. The reports, which date back to when Bardella was 17 and active in the Front National, include claims about Jewish control of banks and calls for Jewish dominance. Bardella strongly denies the allegations, calling them "obvious lies," and announced plans to sue Mediapart. He also disputed being an RN member at the time, despite earlier statements suggesting otherwise. The publication coincides with rising poll numbers for RN, with Marine Le Pen potentially positioned to win the presidency next year. Both Bardella and Le Pen condemned the article as a malicious attempt to destabilize their campaign and damage their reputations.
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