Posted on 11/05/2022 6:18:04 AM PDT by FarCenter
Jordan Bardella, a self-confident 27-year-old, saw his status as rising star of the far right confirmed on Saturday, after party members elected him to succeed veteran leader Marine Le Pen as head of the National Rally.
The Paris-born politician was the odds-on favourite to take over the party after Le Pen decided to step back from the role after 11 years at the helm.
Formerly known as the National Front, the party had been run by Le Pen's father Jean-Marie for 40 years before that.
Bardella is now the first party chief outside the family dynasty in a half-century.
"The fact the party president will not have the name Le Pen is the sign of openness and confidence that Marine has in the new generation," Bardella told AFP during a recent trip to eastern France.
Not that the ultra-loyal protege, who was elected to the European parliament in 2019, is planning to try to overshadow her.
"I am a continuity candidate, with the aim of building on the incredible legacy that Marine is handing over," he added.
He expects and wants Le Pen to take a fourth run at the presidency in 2027 after her record 41.5 percent in April's election run-off against President Emmanuel Macron.
She then fronted the party's parliamentary election campaign in June, which saw the RN capture 89 seats, a 10-fold rise, making it the biggest opposition party in the lower-house National Assembly.
(Excerpt) Read more at france24.com ...
Bravo, Bravo. Vive Jordan!
Is Marie Le Pen still active. She is rather young, but good to get someone outside of one family line.
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