France: Jordan Bardella was re-elected to lead the Rassemblement National party with nearly 99%

Jordan Bardella, 31, was re-elected on Saturday as leader of the French Rassemblement National (RN) party, with nearly 99% of the votes cast. The election took place during the party congress held in Orleans, in central France, one day before Marine Le Pen officially launches her candidacy for the presidential election in April–May 2027.

Bardella was the only candidate for the position of RN president. The vote was conducted online, with just over 75,000 members taking part, representing 68% of the party’s total membership. He took over the party leadership from Marine Le Pen in July 2024, after she was elected as a member of the National Assembly.

Addressing congress participants, Bardella said he needed the members’ support to help Le Pen reach the Élysée Palace. Marine Le Pen is considered the favorite in polls for the presidential election and is scheduled to hold her first major campaign rally on Sunday in Orleans.

The RN congress, held on October 24–25, is taking place amid a tense political climate. Approximately 13,000 people, according to the authorities, protested against the party and what demonstrators call the normalization of the far right. To maintain order, 3,000 members of the security forces were mobilized.