The National Rally had prepared its economic announcement in advance, but reports about remarks attributed to Bardella threatened to overshadow it.
France’s National Rally (RN) planned to present its budget framework at a press conference on Tuesday, October 6. Marine Le Pen was expected to appear alongside party leader Jordan Bardella, Franceinfo reported. Le Pen announced the presentation in a post on X on Monday, saying she would unveil the plan with Bardella. The event had been scheduled in advance.
The presentation was due to take place amid Mediapart reports about antisemitic remarks attributed to Bardella. These are allegations, not established facts. Bardella, Le Pen and the party rejected them, the Associated Press reported. Le Pen had previously said she had complete confidence in the RN leader.
Franceinfo said the party wanted to demonstrate its seriousness on economic policy. RN has faced criticism for wavering positions and insufficient preparation in this area. An unnamed longtime party member told the outlet that the party had weathered worse and predicted that Le Pen would impress with her technical command.
Franceinfo cautioned that the controversy could draw attention away from the budget plan. The article did not list specific figures or policy measures the party intended to propose.