On LCI Sunday evening, Jordan Bardella, president of the Rassemblement National, ranked his political rivals by various qualities while advocating for France to become 'the most repressive country in Europe' against delinquency. He praised François-Xavier Bellamy's intelligence and Jean-Luc Mélenchon's eloquence, despite ideological clashes. Bardella also named inspiring historical figures like de Gaulle and Napoleon.
During his appearance on LCI on the evening of November 2, Jordan Bardella engaged in a playful exercise suggested by journalist Darius Rochebin, assigning qualities to his political rivals. For the most 'intelligent' opponent, he named François-Xavier Bellamy, a Republicans MEP. The most 'eloquent' is Jean-Luc Mélenchon: 'I will fight to my last breath the ideas of La France Insoumise, but Mélenchon has oratory qualities, and he uses them to rewrite French history a bit to his taste,' he said with a smile.
For the most 'skillful' rival, Bardella pointed to Gérald Darmanin, Minister of Justice: 'He has managed to survive all governments since 2017, I don't know how he does it. It must require a skill and intellectual flexibility that I believe I do not have,' he ironized. After hesitation, he called Édouard Philippe the 'most sympathetic,' adding: 'He is not humanly unpleasant.'
Bardella also discussed figures who 'made France': General de Gaulle for grandeur, Richelieu for the sense of the state, and Napoleon for will and energy. Personally, he expresses 'admiration and fascination' for Chateaubriand and his work 'Mémoires d'outre-tombe.'
On security, he described himself as 'pro-police,' 'pro-law enforcement,' and 'pro-military,' aiming to combat what 'poisons the lives of our compatriots.' 'France will not renew with prosperity if we do not restore order and authority,' he asserted. In the event of a 2027 victory, he promises a 'shock of authority,' reinstatement of mandatory military service, elimination of automatic sentence reductions, minimum sentences, and expulsion of foreign delinquents. For serious crimes, he advocates incarceration 'without possibility of release.'