For the first time since 1972 and the creation of the llama party, Le Pen bequeathed the store. On the occasion of the National Rally summer university, organized in Agde (Hérault), Louis Aliot and Jordan Bardella will intervene this Sunday before Marine Le Pen’s speech, whom they both hope to triumph in the leading party.
At the time of presenting this duel -whose result will be known on November 5-, the elected representatives of the far-right party evoke a “democratic confrontation”. Because in this sequence, the RN wishes above all to avoid a succession war.
“The challenge is not to end up in the same configuration as the UMP (now Les Républicains, Ed) in 2012 with a battle between François Fillon and Jean-François Copé”, deciphers support from Louis Aliot.
At the time, these two right-wing figures presented themselves to relieve Nicolas Sarkozy at the head of the party. Their confrontation had soured into a weeks-long dispute over the results of the internal vote.
“On the same” political line?
To avoid such an outcome, the two suitors have exchanged some jokes in recent weeks during their media appearances. At the BFMTV microphone, Jordan Bardella acknowledged “many qualities” in his opponent when he promised on the airwaves of France Info that he is not “there to wage war” on the current interim president of the RN.
If Louis Aliot seems to be developing a more identity line than his rival, assuring for example this Sunday in RMC that he wants to fight against “immigration of settlements and colonization”, Jordan Bardella truncates any debate on ideas, declaring that he and his colleague share ” the same political line.
“Yes, it’s more or less the same,” says Christophe Barthes, an Aude deputy loyal to Louis Aliot.
Side of Bardella, “we do not change a winning team”
The election will not be decided at this level but on “differences in career and personality,” supporters of the two candidates believe. In this context, each side is looking for its most legitimate champion to take the reins of the party.
“We do not change a winning team”, we repeat in the Bardella team, where we hope the interim will continue: it was he who received the keys to the RN in September 2021 so that Marine Le Pen can concentrate on the presidential elections.
On this side, we highlight the good scores in the last electoral terms: a new second round in the presidential election after that of 2017 and legislative results beyond what was expected with the historic entrance of 89 RN deputies at the Palais Bourbon.
“Jordan has been at the center of these successes,” said one executive. “It’s a success for Marine but also his. We already have an experienced duo, I don’t see the added value that Louis Aliot brings.”
At Aliot, we praise “local presence”
A matter of perspective. “The winning team is not (him), it is our entire movement, including Louis Aliot,” replies a deputy close to the Perpignan town hall.
It highlights the “field experience” of his favorite and lists the various positions he has held in Occitania: regional councilor, deputy, then mayor of Perpignan since 2020. As such, he is the first to conquer a city of more than 100,000 inhabitants for being from RN- but presenting a “grand opening” list, without the label of his party.
Supporters of Louis Alliot are counting on this victory to highlight their leader’s candidacy. “We think that to win the 2027 presidential election, we will have to develop local implementation,” explains one of them while the RN chained the debacles to the local polls, with the municipal elections of 2020 and the regional and departmental elections of 2021.
“Louis Aliot, as mayor, has this legitimacy to develop an installation model in other territories,” they say in his field.
Christophe Barthes insists on his “experience within the party” of the 53-year-old man who joined the far-right formation in 1990 when it was still called the National Front (FN). “Jordan has time before he becomes president (of the RN),” this rancher tries.
“By 2027, it’s Marine”
Could the 27-year-old dolphin be too ambitious? Asked in May by France Inter about the possibility of Jordan Bardella running for president in 2027, Marine Le Pen replied: “And why not. In any case, he has all the qualities.”
But others in the RN take a dim view of this prospect. “Every time Jordan takes the light, Marine Le Pen takes the shadow,” replies, for example, a close friend of Louis Aliot to The expressnoting in passing that the domain names bardella2027.fr and bardella2027.com have been reserved.
“On the side of Louis Aliot, we do not want to enter into this type of personal confrontation,” tempers a deputy, close to the mayor of Perpignan. “I don’t credit Jordan for any excessive ambition.”
A pro-Bardella defends his protégé: “I know him, I don’t think he’s taken the melon. By 2027, it’s Marina. In the 2012 presidential election, he won 17% of the vote, 21% in 2017, 23% in 2022 (in the first round, editor’s note): the question of its legitimacy is not raised.”
“False Suspense”
A former party executive agrees with this, clawing at the MEP in passing:
Bardella does not have political independence. She recites the catechism of Marine Le Pen. He will regain the presidency because she is too young to outshine him.
The same makes fun of a “false suspense” for a “result that is known in advance”. “When you want to stay in control of a party, you choose the best drive belt,” he says. “There, it’s Bardella, it’s not Aliot.”
For now, Jordan Bardella is far ahead in the number of referrals. “Three quarters of elected officials and executives gave me their support,” he said on RTL on Monday. An advance that will not be decisive promises the followers of Louis Aliot. “Jordan Bardella has an aura with the general public, but with the partners we can have a surprise,” predicts one of them.
Source: BFM TV
