Sydney - Middle East Times Int’l: He is the “star” today in France. Star of screen, politics, visual and print media. And a social media star.

His pictures appear in the newspapers. It is hosted by senior media figures on their political television programs. They invite him to discuss it on the radio. He has millions of followers on social media. Months ago, Jordan Bardella’s “star” shone in politics just as Hollywood stars shine in art. He became a “hero” on the political stage. He terrified his opponents. They all united to confront him. They mobilized their voter base until the voter turnout reached 67.5% (as of this writing). But who is he? Where did the 28-year-old come from, requesting that Emmanuel Macron share the rule of France?

It established itself as the first French party in the Fifth Republic. At the beginning of 2024, Jordan Bardella became a political star in France. He achieved a qualitative leap for the far-right party. After the National Rally party was on the sidelines of French political life, it was brought in to intimidate it.

Since the start of the European election campaign, the “National Rally” has been ahead of President Emmanuel Macron’s party and the rest of the parties in all opinion polls. Macron tried to curb the progress of the young man and his party. He appointed Gabriel Attal, also a young man, as prime minister to confront the Bardella “phenomenon.” The difference remained 10 points between the two parties. A television debate was organized between Attal and Bardella. The first won in the file approach. While the popularity of the second one increased! In the end, Le Pen's party won 31.3% of the votes. While Macron's party received 14.6%.

Since Emmanuel Macron announced the dissolution of the National Assembly on June 9, Jordan Bardella has been leading his party’s parliamentary election campaign and fighting the battle to become prime minister, whose title is: purchasing power of the French, security and immigration. It is the trinity that is at the forefront of French concerns.

The head of the “National Rally” promotes that he is the “leader” who wants to rebuild France, the “savior” who can save France from the crises into which Emmanuel Macron has plunged it, the “hero” who can liberate France from political “Macronism” and its arrogance and confront the danger of political “melancholia.” And its absurdity.

Between poverty and prosperity

Jordan Bardella was born in 1995 to an unmarried father and a single mother. This is not unusual in the West. What is strange is that he lived in two different social levels and in two regions that were contradictory in terms of social level and political affiliation.

He lived with his mother in the city of Drancy in the leftist Seine-Saint-Denis region, in an apartment within the public housing that the state provides for the poor. This was the case with his mother. She is a worker. Her salary was barely enough to support her son. Bardella says he experienced “urban violence” there. “Seine-Saint-Denis” brings together many immigrants from Arab and black Africa. Most of them are Muslims. Perhaps based on this reality, he was attracted by the political discourse of the National Front against immigrants and political Islam.

On the other hand, Bardella lived a prosperous life with his father. The latter is the director of a beverage distribution company. He lives in a house in the city of Montmorency, in the northern suburbs of Paris. Pierre-Stephan Faure says in his book about Bardella that “his father took him on a trip to the United States of America. He bought him a car when he was 19 years old. He also provided him with an apartment in the Val d’Oise area. However, all of this is not compatible with the political process. So he was erased” (from Bardella’s life), according to the author.

Jordan Bardella's rise in the National Rally Party was lightning fast. He mixed competence, talent, and charisma with family relationships.

In 2012, Bardella joined the “National Front” (the former name of the “National Rally”). He was not yet 16 years old. This forced him to convince his mother to give him permission. Marine Le Pen had become head of the Front, succeeding her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen. He was affected by it. “She has something that others don't have. courage. She says out loud what no one dares to say. She has a strong personality, energy, frankness, honesty, and courage that touched me,” Bardella says. Is he really honest in what he says, or is he saying it out of flattery towards the president’s party, in which he is the one who commands the command in the Lebanese way?!

There is no doubt that the young man knows very well where the shoulder is eaten from. This is what helped him climb the party ladder until he reached the top of the pyramid.

The beginning of Bardella's party activity was in the youth movement in the “National Front.” There his star, enthusiasm and talent in politics shone. He became the party's secretary in the 93rd district, located in the northern suburbs of Paris.

Its proximity to the capital made it close to the decision-making center in the party. He worked for a short period in the office of Jean-François Al-Jalkh (Lebanese origin), the representative of the Front in the European Parliament. In 2015, he became the official spokesman for the “National Rally” in the “Ile-de-France” region, which is the most important region in France and includes the capital, Paris.

In 2017, Marine Le Pen chose him as a spokesman for her party after her first meeting with him at the home of Frederic Chatillon, a leader in the National Rally. Bardella was the lover of Chatillon's daughter. This relationship opened the door wide for him to become in the front row of the party.

It should be noted that Bardella did not complete his university studies at the Sorbonne, as he was pursuing a major in geography. He preferred politics over study. Party work to work within its competence.

In 2019, Jordan Bardella was elected as a representative of the “National Rally” in the European Parliament. In 2020, he began his relationship with Nolwyn Olivier, Marine Le Pen’s niece and granddaughter of the founder Le Pen. He became the “son-in-law” of the family. This is a relationship that will bring him to the top of the party pyramid.

In 2022, Marine Le Pen chose him as party leader at the age of 27. She confirmed her choice with a party election, as a result of which Bardella obtained 84.84% of the votes. While his competitor, Louis Elliott, the mayor of Perpignan, received 15.16% of the votes! An election reminiscent of the election of the heirs of party leaders in Lebanon (son or son-in-law). At that time, the French press wrote that Bardella was the first president of the National Rally outside the Le Pen family! In fact, he is at the heart of the family, even if he is not a member of it.

As usual, the preliminary results of the parliamentary elections were released at 8 a.m. French time. It came as a surprise to observers, contrary to opinion polls, and disappointing Jordan Bardella. The leftist “New Popular Front” obtained the largest parliamentary bloc. The presidential coalition came second. While the “National Rally” came third.

The question today is who will form the government? Which government will be formed? The answer will be in the next few days.

What is certain today is that Jordan Bardella's hopes of being the prime minister of the future government have fallen. But he did not lose hope. In his speech after the results were released, he said that a people who have hope cannot be prevented from achieving it. He gave a new date for the democratic competition in 2027, the date of the French presidential elections.