Marine Le Pen Ousts Jordan Bardella Ally in Campaign Launch

French Far-Right Leader Marine Le Pen Launches Campaign with Key Personnel Shake-Up

PARIS, July 15, 2025 — Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Rally (RN) party, formally launched her 2026 presidential campaign on Tuesday by announcing a significant restructuring of her campaign team, including the removal of a close associate of RN President Jordan Bardella.

Le Pen’s campaign, titled “France First,” was unveiled in a press conference at the party’s headquarters in Nanterre, near Paris. The event emphasized nationalist themes, economic protectionism, and strict immigration controls—core tenets of the RN platform.

The most notable personnel change involved the exclusion of Nicolas Bay, a longtime Le Pen ally and former RN secretary-general, who had been a close collaborator of Jordan Bardella. Bay, who served as a Member of the European Parliament for the RN, has been reassigned to a lesser role within the party structure, according to internal sources. No official explanation was provided for his demotion, and Bay declined to comment on the matter.

Senior RN officials confirmed that Le Pen’s campaign will be led by her longtime advisor, Julien Sanchez, a former deputy mayor of Hénin-Beaumont and a key strategist in her 2022 presidential bid. The campaign structure also includes increased influence from figures aligned with Le Pen’s more hardline faction, signaling a shift away from Bardella’s influence in campaign operations.

Le Pen’s announcement comes amid internal party tensions over the future direction of the RN following its mixed performance in the 2024 European and municipal elections. While the party maintained its position as France’s leading opposition force, some analysts suggest the campaign overhaul is an effort to consolidate Le Pen’s control ahead of next year’s presidential vote.

In her speech, Le Pen criticized President Emmanuel Macron’s economic policies, accusing his administration of failing to protect French industry and allowing “unchecked immigration.” She proposed a referendum on reinstating national borders and reducing France’s financial contributions to the European Union.

The RN leader also reaffirmed her commitment to the controversial “priorité nationale” policy, which prioritizes French citizens in access to social benefits and public sector jobs—a measure widely condemned by human rights organizations.

Political observers note that Le Pen’s campaign launch follows a period of strategic repositioning, as she seeks to distance herself from Bardella’s more moderate image and appeal directly to the party’s core base of Eurosceptic and nationalist voters.

National Rally officials stated that the campaign will focus on grassroots mobilization, digital outreach, and regional rallies across France, with a particular emphasis on rural and working-class communities.

As France gears up for the 2026 presidential election, Le Pen’s campaign launch marks the beginning of what is expected to be a highly polarized and contentious electoral cycle.

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