BRUSSELS — If Europe’s mainstream politicians were under the impression that the French far right was preparing to soften its edges and settle into the rhythms of EU dealmaking, Jordan Bardella just shattered their illusions.
In a wide-ranging conversation ahead of a trip to Poland, the National Rally leader doused hopes that he might prove a more accommodating European partner than his mentor, Marine Le Pen. Instead, he showed no signs of moderating plans to slash France’s EU budget contribution, deepen ties with nationalist allies and reshape the bloc from within.
Here are five things to know about POLITICO’s exclusive interview with the far-right leader who could be France’s next president.
The full interview is available here.
He wants to halve France’s contribution to the EU budget
Cutting back on how much money Paris sends to Brussels has long been a core National Rally demand, but Bardella significantly raised the stakes by calling for a 50 percent cut in France’s contribution. “We will give the French their money back,” Bardella said.
The proposed cut — far deeper than figures previously floated — and Bardella’s readiness to confront Brussels over it points to a serious showdown if he becomes France’s president in 2027. Bardella is leading early polls as an appeals court weighs whether Marine Le Pen can run, a decision that could determine which of them becomes the National Rally’s candidate.
He criticized an effort in Brussels to pass the bloc’s long-term budget by the end of the year as “profoundly anti-democratic.”
“The next French executive, whoever it may be, must have a say in this budget because it will commit France — and thus the future of the French people and the budget of our fellow citizens — for years to come,” he said, vowing to have the French parliament cut the contributions if necessary.
He doesn’t want Donald Trump’s endorsement
Bardella described the U.S. president’s actions as “not only erratic, but also extremely unsteady and constantly shifting,” a sharp shift in tone from his previous favorable public statements.
“President Trump’s second term is very significantly different from the first,” Bardella said, noting Trump was “harder to read.” Washington, he added, now views itself as “an empire” with a sphere of influence in the Western hemisphere. “It is threatening to Europe in the sense that it impacts many European countries — not France — with this fear of American disengagement.”
Bardella also rejected a potential endorsement from Trump, who has attempted to influence elections in Hungary, Poland and Argentina by backing leaders who align with his politics. “The support we’re seeking with Marine Le Pen is that of the French people, the support of French voters,” he said. “We don’t need to open the door to any form of interference.”
He struck a reassuring tone on European defense and NATO
Bardella, speaking ahead of a trip to Poland aimed at burnishing his international credentials, sought to reassure French allies concerned about the National Rally’s stance on NATO.
The party is traditionally isolationist, and while Bardella has endorsed Le Pen’s long-standing pledge to withdraw France from NATO’s integrated military command, he has said he will wait until after the war in Ukraine is over.
“One doesn’t redefine the framework of treaties in times of war,” he said. “Therefore, our priority will be to work, through new French leadership, to restore peace at Europe’s doorstep, first through a ceasefire in Ukraine and then to the establishment of security guarantees that must allow Ukraine to defend its borders.”
The far-right leader also backed raising defense spending to 3 percent of GDP between 2030 and 2035, calling it essential to France’s freedom and security. He said that security commitments made to Eastern flank allies, including Romania and the Baltic states, would be upheld if his party comes to power.
He is reaching out to ideological bedfellows
Bardella’s trip comes amid a broader outreach to potential partners in Europe. While he has made overtures to Germany’s conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz, he made clear that he sought to form alliances first and foremost with fellow nationalists, such as Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
The French far-right leader is scheduled to meet with the right-wing Law and Justice party in Warsaw this week. The party is polling second ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for 2027 in the country and could be in a position to form a governing coalition with other rightwing Euroskeptic parties.
“Our ambition is to think big and to build this new European architecture that we envision,” Bardella said.
He’s in love
Giorgia Meloni isn’t the only Italian woman on Bardella’s mind.
The far-right leader’s relationship with Maria Carolina de Bourbon des Deux-Siciles, an Italian princess and influencer, has become a tabloid sensation — and fodder for political attacks.
“Bardella has never been on the side of the workers; he prefers to drink champagne in Monaco with his princess,” Fabien Roussel, the French Communist leader, said after the couple was photographed in Monaco attending a Formula One race.
Asked if she would accompany him on his travels, Bardella demurred.
“Listen, she doesn’t do politics,” he said. “Now, she is by my side, and she is an extraordinary woman, a remarkable woman. So I am extremely happy and extremely in love. Now will she accompany me on political trips? I don’t know.”